Power Of Storytelling In Medusa Myth, The Turn Of The Screw, And The Notebook

Storytelling remains significant in our contemporary society as it connects us to our humanity, providing a glimpse into our future. There are many unique stories which add to the legacy that we are a part of, helping us to define who we are. My opinion supports that the idea of storytelling both preserves and transmits knowledge and valuable information to younger audiences in order to pass down exclusive and fundamental ideas of past experiences, values, and morals.

Moreover, storytelling can also open our vulnerability to a greater level in order to relive the past. As clarified throughout the Module 'Narratives that Shape our World', the concept of storytelling monumentally connects people within and across distinct cultures, communities, and past eras. It is my belief that storytelling inspires and continually activates different views and judgements for the purpose of connecting people on an emotional level. It can be evidently revealed through the different text types that include: an artwork of The Myth of Medusa, the novella The Turn of the Screw and the film The Notebook.

The artwork of the inimitable Greek Mythological story of The Myth of Medusa, created by 'Leonardo Da Vinci' displays a unique storyline which manifestly pursues the importance of passing on stories through many generations. The use of visual imagery shown throughout this artwork truly mesmerises and highlights the type of character Medusa upholds, accompanying the meticulous choice of colour which highly influences our perceptions and enhances the way we interpret the artwork. This Greek mythological artwork inspires, influences and continually activates the audiences' beliefs and cultural aspects. Without hesitation, I genuinely suppose that this artwork correctly reveals great meaning which has an imbued moral message and can assuredly enlighten our contemporary society. Medusa was recognised to be a picturesque woman who was harshly destroyed by her unfaithful deeds which truly captivated my intelligence, for the artwork offers a very queer image of the striking decapitated Medusa.

Her furious, witchery eyes mirror the place down below, while her surrounded slender vipers are viciously gazing at her as their tongues are flicked out that one may taste the fear in the air. She resembles a monstrous beast that tightly hugs the ground, soulless and menacing, while her splattered blood is disturbingly discharged from her scoop neck, displaying an injurious symbol of suffering from pure evilness. The overall close-up shot of the ethereal artwork is deeply momentous as it has its unique approaches for the understanding of its phenomenal storyline. This artwork complements the importance of storytelling for contemporary audiences, as it signifies that one who commits an immoral act will be deeply punished, as revealed through Medusa's beastly character. The purpose of the artwork can symbolise and warn our current audiences to remain pure and to act just in order to continue life's journey contentedly and righteously.

The novella The Turn of the Screw, written by 'Henry James' evidently reveals the significance of passing on stories through many generations as it vastly displays the supernatural uncertainty of life. From my perspective, the novella is an utmost novel that has its unique expression and simultaneously functions as a reflection on the world for both the goodness and evilness present in our society. It also appears to represent a highly disturbing and infrequent ghost story which skilfully embodies the important virtues of a well-received novel that is revealed at the beginning of the novella; 'The story has held us, round the fire, sufficiently breathless'. This statement significantly highlights a unique and deliberate control of what Henry attempts to convey to the characters, and the stories they tell throughout the novel. We are introduced immediately to the formal qualities of the generic ghost tale. However, this opening passage is marked by what we may consider a polemic gesture from Henry in order to captivate the audience and presumably convey the ghost tale that he has stood witness too.

Henry's novel is phenomenally complex; it has an incredible sense of ambiguity which allows the audiences to reflect across a broad, outlandish and far-fetched concept formulated within the novel. The power of language used within the novella reacts as a decidedly suspicious treatment which could be interpreted in many distinct ways. 'Peter Quint - you devil!'. This well-known quote stated by Miles can be diversely analysed in numerous ways. From my personal standpoint, it seems to me that Miles certainly saw the appearance of Quint, but constantly denied the fact that he was still able to counteract with a ghostly deceased soul. Yet, we can also construe this quote as Miles referring to the governess as 'the devil', and his subsequent death may be a result of the governess' terrifying insanity. Miles can be hinting out the novella's true villain, but exactly whom he points out is ambiguous. This novella clearly demonstrates the prominence of storytelling to current viewers as it opens a vast and broad elucidation which significantly increases our imaginations in order to convey certain ideas and to reflect beyond our human thoughts.

Storytelling is important to current audiences, as it has been to society in the past as it can retell significant stories and experiences that occur in one's life. The film The Notebook, directed by 'Nick Cassavetes' is my all-time favourite romantic film which palpably presents an inextricable connection of the enduring power of love amongst a couple, despite the Alzheimer's disease the wife (Allie) suffers from. As the couple become old, Allie severely suffers from Alzheimer which results in the forgettable love life with her husband (Noah). My opinion supports that the film prodigiously highlights the significance of storytelling as her husband continually visits Allie and frequently reads to her from his notebook. This notebook contained the story of their life, and through reading the notebook to Allie, it assisted with familiarising her, building a path to the possibility of reminding her of what her life contains; 'I remember now, it was us'. The influence of his storytelling aided to jog the memory of Allie and gave hope to Noah. During the film, Noah mentions 'If you're a bird, I'm a bird!'.

The power of the language and the use of metaphor explains that no matter what Allie desires to be, Noah will continuously follow her for the purpose of staying together. It presents a film that has a unique insight that offers love, the most important emotion that truly matters for it significantly satisfies the emotional needs of a human being. This evidently reveals the importance of storytelling for it educates the viewers and reminds contemporary society of vital features in life that current audiences tend to neglect. Hence, as shown throughout this film, storytelling can preserve our important values of life and can be passed on through many generations in order to relive experiences that have occurred in the past. Therefore, it both informs the audience at the same pace as the characters in the film in order to create a more immersive feel.

In summation, my opinion supports that storytelling remains significant in our contemporary society as it continually passes down significant ideas of experiences, values, and morals in order to effectively relive the past. Storytelling has the ability to inspire, enchant and motivate for the purpose of spreading views and judgements across the world. It allows our brains to become active for it proceeds to communicate simple, relatable and effective experiences that occur in one's life. This can be evidently revealed through the texts that were explained above of the painting of The Myth of Medusa, the novella The Turn of the Screw, and the film The Notebook.