The Anguish Of Snails Sparknotes
Life Through Storytelling
In this essay I am going to assess Toelken Barre’s belief that Native American storytelling does not mean to account for natural phenomena or facts but rather is meant to dramatize the real world. This is to allow the stories to act as a metaphor for lessons which may be incorporated into the lives of those who listen to the stories. Cultural storytelling also serves to provide a sense of belonging for individuals by honoring them during important life milestones.
In The Anguish of Snails: Native American Folklore in the West, author Toelken Barre shares the importance of storytelling within Navajo culture. Barre provides examples of how ceremonial singing of stories is present in parts of Navajo life from being used
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When a Navajo person is married stories will be sung. This is also the case for when a woman has her first menstruation. Stories are also told in ceremonies to bless homes. These are all major milestones in a person’s life. Being able to have stories told in honour of an individual person’s important life events gives the individual a sense of belonging, a place within their culture. This in turn can help people feel fulfilled in their lives because they have a place where they can call home. When Barre was a patient, in a ceremony to promote stability in his life, he mentioned how the Navajo told the story of the children of the Sun and how they fought their way to their father. Barre states “ I, the sick one, provided the only protection” (Barre 112). This is in regards to how the story told had him as the person of interest. He was the main person of interest in the ceremony and as such he felt like he belonged even though he was not Navajo. Being able to feel like a part of a culture can provide peoples lives with meaning as it can make them feel less lonely. The ceremonial storytelling made in honour of individuals makes them feel like they have somewhere which they belong and as such it is important to preserve these aspects of storytelling as they provide meaning to the lives of individuals. In our current society we still honour and sing for individuals. For example, a birthday celebration is made in honour of a person every year. A day in which they are sung for. Days like these provide individuals with a sense of belonging which in turn improves their
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