OOPS!! I didn't mean to spoil Hamlet for you! Hope you aren't too disappointed!After reading this chapter I am now thinking back through all of the books I've read trying to make some connections. It's really hard when you are put on the spot. I remember doing a paper in college on Shakespeare and how many of the the plots from his plays were borrowed from other books and plays. I remember being shocked--how could he be considered a genius if he borrowed his ideas from others?? Now though, I realize the author of this book is right--there aren't really any "new" ideas--we read books, watch movies, live life--and from that we (and the authors we read) use those experiences to create new ones.
The author said "there's only one story." What does he mean by that? What is the story? Also, do you agree that no story is entirely original? Why? Bonus: Can you name a book you've read that "borrows" some aspect of the plot from another work?
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I think by "there's only one story" the author means the story that happens everyday which is history. That is the only story there really is. Every other story is created from it, whether its a chick flick, a sports story, sci fi, or whatever other kind of book there is. I do agree that no story is entirely original. If someone here's a story that they really liked then it will be in there head and when they go to write their own story they will usually put aspects of that story into it. I know whenever in class a teacher assigns maybe to write a short story and they read a really good one out loud, then I have that story in my mind when wanting to write my own and usually take parts of the story and make them my own. Therefore the story that I wrote isn't entirely my own. Also, whenever someone makes a story they usually base it on something happening in their own life or something happening in the world. I can't think of any books off the top of my head that "borrows" some aspect of the plot from another work.
ReplyDeleteI believe it when the author says that there is only one story. Because, as he said, everything we go through in life can be made into a story, but it is not entirely original, because chance be it, someone is going through the same thing that we are going through or has been. I think it is awesome that literature borrows from other literature whether it be a novel borrowing from a poem or ect. It really shows the unity of authors of all kinds of literature. I see alot of times when the Prince of Narnia borrows from the bible, as Aspan(the lion im not sure if thats his name) is the savior of narnia as in the bible Jesus is the savior of the world. Not to say the bible is just a plot in my perspective, but i think Narnia definitely tells the story of a savior much as the bible does.
ReplyDeleteI think that by there being “only one story” I believe the author is talking about the story of life. Because within a lifetime anything is possible and every author writes about the possibilities that could happen during someone’s life. Not every book that was ever written has literally happened to someone but an author sees what the world is and how things are and I think that their literature work is just their interpretation on an event in life and so really every author out there is writing about a different part of a lifetime. But after reading chapter 5 and reading the authors point on literature I agree with him that no story is entirely original. I recall having to write stories of my own during school and they are always about a distant memory I have of something else.
ReplyDeleteWhen the author says that there is "only one story" I feel as if he is talking about life in itself. Many people go through things that there is no doubt, others have gone through to. Everyone, no matter if they know each other or not, are connected by the things they do in their everyday lives. When you stop to truly think about that concept, you realize that they do. So to a point I believe that all stories are not completely original. People usually take things from everyday life to write their stories. On the other hand, there are some authors who just use their imagination to write their stories. There aren't really in books that I have read that have taken plots from each other, but the book The Host by Stephenie Meyer has a similar plot setting to the movie The Faculty. In both aliens from another planet come to take over earth.
ReplyDeletethe story the author is talking about is life. almost all stories deal with atleast one person's life, and because we all go through some of the same things it is impossible to create a story that is original
ReplyDeleteI believe that everyone in life rights their own story, so therefore its original in that itself is based on one individual and his or her life. But most people have people in their life even if its just one person, which would mean everyone bounces ideas from another. for instance i learn things from friends and they learn from me as well. everyone is original just like the author states there is one story but i think that everyone obatains ideas from others. its the human way of life, no one person does something that has never been done, but if they happen to ususally someone tries to go and make it better by trying to speed up the said process or change it entirely. thats just the way that i look at it. i think the author is right when he says their is just one original story but i also thing to make an original story it ususally takes more than one person to write it...
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author when he writes of there only being one story, which is of just life in general. This is the reason people cant get into stories so well. It's all life experiences, so they can relate. I also agree that there is no story entirely original. All stories are based off or inspired by past books, people, or events. After having that thought occur to me I realize that there are many books that are inspired by the bible. The most popular one I can think of at the moment is The Chronicles of Narnia.
ReplyDeleteWhen the author says that there is only one story, he is more then likely talking about life. Everyone lives there one life, everyone has different life experiences, making everyones life different. From the choices we make and the things that pass us by. When it comes to books and movies anyway, they always seem to have the same story line. Someone falls in love with someone else. Even though there is trails and tribulations they always seem to find a way to be together. As always a happily ever after.
ReplyDeleteI believe the author is talking about life...life is the only story any of us should be concerned about. We each go through different things, that's what makes our stories different. Most books stay on the beaten path. Sometimes it's interesting when they don't. Stephanie Meyers wrote another great book, besides the Twilight series. It's called "The Host." It totally not what you'd expect..life in unpredictable...
ReplyDeleteWhen the author says there is only one story he is talking about ones life. It is pretty much the same story every time because if you are going through something, chances are someone else has already been through that and told about it.
ReplyDeletethe author is talking about life i mean sure we all think what we go thourgh is unique to us and sometimes it is but at the same someone in the world has gone thourgh almost the same exact thing i dont nessecarily agree that every story is unoriginal some have specific plots only to their stories but then again the same can be said for books that have similar plots such as the "boy meets girl" sorta thing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author when he says there is really only one story. No story is truly original. I know everytime i write a story I get alot of my ideas from stories I have read or movies i have seen.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author when he says there is no one story because we all hit our bumps on the highway through life. Its a fact we all face problems, sometimes the same and we really dont realize it. An example of how someone takes other peoples ideas and puts them to use is the movie passion of the christ. Mel Gibson took a story from the bible and made a movie out of it. We all go through our own different problems each day but but at the same time someone else could be going through the same kind of problems we go through life and we not even know it so i believe that no story is entirely original.
ReplyDeleteJeff Abel
I think the author means that there is only one original story, be it a love story, a tragedy, etc. Every story borrows from a previous story and even though the two stories may differentiate they all have the same idea. This same idea came from the very first version of that story ever written, the “one story”. For example, a love story though it has been elaborated on over hundreds of years all has the same idea from which the first one ever written had. A boy, a girl, an obstacle, a happy ending. As for your question what is the story?, i don’t think that every single story has the same theme but that in every story there is a beginning, an obstacle, a plot, climax, etc, and an ending, and all the things in between can relate to the same in between things in other kinds of stories. I do agree that no story is entirely original because if you do your homework you can find the bits and pieces that make the story interesting in previously written stories. The only thing that makes a story original in it’s own way is that it is all those pieces are rearranged differently. This might be a horrible example, but take Twilight and Romeo and Juliet. Both forbidden loves with odds working against them, both couples having people that don’t want them to be together, both couples not wanting to go on without each other and etc. A typical love story.
ReplyDeleteI think that the "one story" the author was talking about is life. Every person is able to write their own story by just living life and experiencing all that they can. I think there are two sides to the "no story can be entirely original" because generally speaking, yes the ideas or plots tend to be similar but no one story is going to be exactly like another. Each one will have some aspect of it that makes it unique and original, just like people.
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