And behind it all is Kurt Vonnegut’s theory that all narratives fall into one of just six trajectories and since tested and supported: rags to riches; tragedy (riches to rags); man in a hole (fall-rise); Icarus (rise-fall); Cinderella (rise-fall-rise); Oedipus (fall-rise-fall).
Lost in a cycle, the words repeat, Stories echo in a hollow beat. Familiar tales on endless spin, A loop that traps the soul within.
Yet within the sameness, seeds may grow, New shades emerge in the shadowed glow, For even in cycles, change can gleam— A whispered hope within a dream.
Like a good song a good story should be able to be retold again and again through different lenses and perspectives yet still be good every time. Thank you for this article.
Thinking is not unlimited. So, most likely, all ideas in movies can be found in some kind of book. That’s why movies from the 2020s keep repeating the same stories—because all the plots have already been written and shown before.
I used to explain to my students that this similarity or copying of themes shows that people haven't changed over time. We have many of the same feelings and motivations as the people in Ancient Greece and Elizabethan England.
On the other hand, it would be refreshing to see some original concepts. What are some of the newest ideas for stories that have come out in recent years?
Now that I've read this article, entitled "Why Do We Keep Telling the Same Stories?" That question is never addressed in the article.
In the many years I taught middle- and high-school, I asked many classes to figure out how many different stories there were in world fictional literature. They (we) were able to list a few, such as "the hero's journey," religious pilgrimages, action-adventure, love stories, philosophy, and a variety of mixtures of the above. Sometimes these are scientific, sometimes tragic, sometimes comic, etc., but we couldn't come up with any that did not fit into these characteristics.
From this rather limited list, we divined that those are the only things important to mankind.
I would love to read the opinions of others!
And, I would love it if "The Culturist" could help us chase down the answer!
Thank you so much for the your posts here, particularly this one. Your words are concise, invigorating, and encourage us all onwards to explore deeper pathways.
“The Northman” film is an amazing retelling of Hamlet, set in a well-researched Viking context, but ironically goes back to the story of Amleth on which the Shakespeare play was based.
Another fun one would be The Matrix and Plato's allegory of the cave.
I love these articles! They are always interesting and get me thinking. Thank you.
I simply cannot believe I never made the connection in ‘She’s the Man’. lol great article!
And behind it all is Kurt Vonnegut’s theory that all narratives fall into one of just six trajectories and since tested and supported: rags to riches; tragedy (riches to rags); man in a hole (fall-rise); Icarus (rise-fall); Cinderella (rise-fall-rise); Oedipus (fall-rise-fall).
I enjoyed reading this but still wondering why? Why do we keep telling the same stories ?
Lost in a cycle, the words repeat, Stories echo in a hollow beat. Familiar tales on endless spin, A loop that traps the soul within.
Yet within the sameness, seeds may grow, New shades emerge in the shadowed glow, For even in cycles, change can gleam— A whispered hope within a dream.
Like a good song a good story should be able to be retold again and again through different lenses and perspectives yet still be good every time. Thank you for this article.
Hamlet itself shares much with the ancient Egyptian myth of Osiris!
Thinking is not unlimited. So, most likely, all ideas in movies can be found in some kind of book. That’s why movies from the 2020s keep repeating the same stories—because all the plots have already been written and shown before.
Harry Potter is really just a simple good vs. evil tale. Similar to Star Wars? Are they based on some older literature?
I used to explain to my students that this similarity or copying of themes shows that people haven't changed over time. We have many of the same feelings and motivations as the people in Ancient Greece and Elizabethan England.
On the other hand, it would be refreshing to see some original concepts. What are some of the newest ideas for stories that have come out in recent years?
Now that I've read this article, entitled "Why Do We Keep Telling the Same Stories?" That question is never addressed in the article.
In the many years I taught middle- and high-school, I asked many classes to figure out how many different stories there were in world fictional literature. They (we) were able to list a few, such as "the hero's journey," religious pilgrimages, action-adventure, love stories, philosophy, and a variety of mixtures of the above. Sometimes these are scientific, sometimes tragic, sometimes comic, etc., but we couldn't come up with any that did not fit into these characteristics.
From this rather limited list, we divined that those are the only things important to mankind.
I would love to read the opinions of others!
And, I would love it if "The Culturist" could help us chase down the answer!
And, if The Culturist was ready to take the deep dive into this, I would definitely upgrade my subscription!
As an author myself, your observations on this topic are very useful. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the your posts here, particularly this one. Your words are concise, invigorating, and encourage us all onwards to explore deeper pathways.
“The Northman” film is an amazing retelling of Hamlet, set in a well-researched Viking context, but ironically goes back to the story of Amleth on which the Shakespeare play was based.
Yentl also has a kind-of trans appeal.