One Story??? Please!

In my opinion, the idea that there is only one story is an outrageous claim to make. I would definitely say that there are many stories that have appeared and reappeared on a consistent basis in literature. Yes it is true certain stories have appeared innumerable times, does not give us the right to say that these are the only stories in existence. I feel as if that would be very foolish of us to say.

One reason why we see certain stories repeated over and over is because the problems that are presented are almost always universal. Anyone can relate to them.

For example the story of the hero’s journey appears quite often in literature. One of the reasons for this is that most all those who read these stories have had experiences similar in nature. That is, that they encountered a problem in which they had to face certain situations, and upon facing those situations learned about themselves and finally the problem is resolved. This is a classic example as to why people repeat these stories, because they know that readers and listeners will be able to relate.

Another reason why I believe that it is not safe to say that there is only one story is because, although we as humans may face problems of similar circumstances, we may not all have the same reaction. For example if we continue with the example of the hero’s journey, we may find that some people don’t react exactly the same way to the problems that they encounter. Because of this difference in reaction, an entirely new story is created. In fact there are so many different possible reactions to the story that it can not be just limited to one single story.

Finally I believe that we can not come to the conclusion that there is one story solely based on all of the stories that we have seen or have encountered. It may be true that these particular stories have been repeated over and over, but that does not give us the right to say that these are the only stories. There are so many more people in the world, that have not even been created yet who may have the potential to create an entirely new set of stories for which have no relation to the stories that we have read before. There is so much potential for more stories to be created in the future and we should wait with great expectancy for these to be created.

Archetypal Journey

The hero's journey is a pattern that can be found in myths, stories, and legends from a range of cultures and time periods. Ancient hero's journeys were not created with an awareness of the pattern. Modern hero's journeys are created with an awareness of the pattern and have been criticized for following the pattern too closely.

Nonetheless, there's a reason that this archetype keeps reappearing. Both the ancient and modern hero represent an able-bodied being that is capable of dealing with situations that "normal" people feel they cannot. As humans, we generally desire all stories to have a so called happy ending because it makes us feel optimistic about life. Whether it be unrealistic situations, such as movies like Star Wars, or even movies involving talking animals such as Finding Nemo, there is always a protagonist and the end almost always has a resolution. The one exception I have found is in horror films, which are meant to leave the audience feeling uneasy and continually scared after the film is over. That is often why the end result is not always the death of the antagonist and why horror films often have sequels.

The most prominent element, other than a physical journey, is quite obviously the spiritual or emotional journey that the main character makes. Whether it's finding love or finding yourself, the character almost always makes some sort of discovery or else the plot line would be essentially flat. These stories also have intended lessons and moral teachings, though most people perceive plots at face value.

My most favorite journey story is Match Point. Although somewhat atypical, it still can follow along the archetype.

Protagonist : Chris- Comes from poor background
Conflict: Affair with Nola & her pregnancy with his child
Solution: Remove Nola from the picture
Theme: Luck


Trailer


Opening Scene


Final Scene