Importance of Stories

There are many ways of telling stories, whether it be directly to someone a group of people, movies, poems, etc. The possibilities for the importance of telling stories are infinite. A good example of why telling stories is important is gaining information from the storyteller and taking it in as a learning experience. It is one of the most powerful means of telling stories that leaders have to influence, teach, and inspire. Why is it so powerful and important of telling stories? Stories are being told by millions of people and some of the stories from the past are still told to this day. We might not even know it but they are being told to us almost everyday. Like in school where we learn about something everyday. A good example would be in history class, where we are told about the stories of important individuals and events back in the day. According to Paths to Literacy, stories serve so many purposes in our lives. They are far more than just reading or listening, they are instrumental in cognitive, social and emotional development.

From reading the General Prologue in “The Canterbury Tales,” I can say comparing it to modern day it is quite similar. Just like any movie or book generally opens up with the setting and later stars the main protagonist and describes his past. For example, superhero movies, they often introduce the character and their past and later on the story goes on of why they are the character they are. The author for “The Canterbury Tales” introduces many different characters and briefly describes their past. As mentioned in the prologue, the first character he mentions is the honorable knight who devoted his life to chivalry, truth, and justice. The author then proceeds to describe his past of where he came from and his battles in Lithuania and Russia. In other words, the author describing these different characters and their background is another way of telling a story.

In conclusion, storytelling is almost everywhere and isn’t told just by reading, listening, or watching a film. There are still many ways of telling stories but one thing I can say is, a life without stories is no life at all. As mentioned, the possibilities are endless for telling a story which is why it is a crucial way of learning as well as why they are important in our life.