Monday, February 9, 2015
The Stories That Bind Us
I am fascinated by the power of narrative, so I was naturally drawn to Bruce Feiler’s article, “The Stories That Bind Us.” He argues the importance of a family narrative on the resilience of the family members. The article provided me with further reflection on Fisher’s statement, “the world is a set of stories which must be chosen among,” and Bal’s statement, “narrative analysis is an activity of cultural analysis.”
The power of narrative is evident in Bruce Feiler’s article. He asserts that a family narrative aids in creating more resilience in individuals. A family narrative provides the members of the family with their heritage and core values which gives a sense of belonging and identity. Psychologist conducted studies on children with and without a family narrative. The outcome had an astounding conclusion, “The more children knew about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem and the more successfully they believed their families functioned” (Feiler). Feiler states that it is important to share both the family successes and the family difficulties with an emphasis on the family’s strength and resilience. This idea correlates with Fisher’s statement that the stories we tell ourselves and each other establishes a meaningful life-world” (Fisher 6), it is also a way of “relating a ‘truth’ about the human condition” (Fisher 6).
Narrative is an important aspect in the understanding our lives. It is in our human nature to communicate and interact through narratives. Feiler’s article clearly argues the importance of narrative in the well-being of an individual. Abbott states, “One truism about narrative is that it is a way we have of knowing ourselves” (Abbott 130). We understand our lives in terms of narratives, and therefore a family narrative enables individuals to acquire a sense of belonging to a group and successfully face challenges.
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The idea that we construct our identity within a family narrative - that we cannot help but do so - resonates with me. What intrigues me most, though, is somewhat opposite of what you present as Feiler's main point - what about constructing an identity against your family narrative, rather than in concert with it? Does distancing yourself or reacting against the family narrative mean you have disengaged, or are still a part of the overarching narrative?
ReplyDeleteI believe that you are still a part of the overarching narrative. One may decide to distance themselves from the family narrative as an attempt to adapt or to identify with a different narrative. However, the family narrative is a part of your heritage. Also, in such a case, one will probably find ancestors who decided to distance themselves from the family narrative, and therefore distance becomes a part of the narrative.
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