I personally believe that all stories may have one root or, if they are generalized, the same main theme as some other story, but I also believe that each story is unique. Even if all ideas have been thought of and used before, each idea can be put together in a new way to make an original work. I think that the concepts of some stories may be extremely similar to those of some story from the past, but others may be a totally new idea. Though many stories borrow, that does not mean that there can never be a new idea. My argument is that it’s the unique combination of already established ideas that can make something original.
In the case of Dracula, the idea of a vampire creature existed in lore before the story was written. I’m sure the concepts of crusaders for the just cause and writing using the epistle style were not unique to Stoker either. The point is that he put these prior ideas together with his own thoughts and meanings in mind and created a unique work.
The same can be said for Alice in Wonderland. Carroll is not the first to write fantasy or a children’s story, but he adds his own ideas and unique characters and makes a story that is original.
I guess the conclusion I’m drawing is that it’s the combination of ideas and the author’s individual purpose for writing that makes a story unique even if the ideas themselves have been used before. The person’s intentions, meanings behind symbols, character designs and things of that nature form a unique combination and, therefore, an original story.
I like your explanation of unique stories stemming from a combination of old ideas. This makes it possible for original and adapted stories to be intertwined and not mutually exclusive. This explanation also gives authors credit for their personal inspiration. Despite that, I think it is hard for people to think of new ideas, because in general we think about things we already know.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you one hundred percent. I think it's when people start worrying too much or start overanalyzing, extreme thoughts such as this are seen as real. We don't need to blow things so out of proportion. It's like when people start freaking out that nothing is real. It doesn't accomplish anything.
ReplyDeleteI agree that stories that have been adapted over time are unique even though they have already been told before in a variety of ways. We all have original thoughts but these thoughts may be shared by someone else as well. I like that you recognize that even though stories "borrow" that there can still be a new thought or idea. Coming up with new stories may be difficult because there have been so many so far, but I believe it is the way that authors decide to tell their story that makes it so unique and different. Basically, I 100% agree with you.
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