"The New Boy"

The "narrative turn" as Rorty put it allows us as an individual person to share to others our thoughts, experiences, and opinions on matters. A narrative gives an author power to clearly and vividly remember and share details only he or she may have felt, remembered, or experienced. This point alone justifies the use of narratives but further promotes their ability to describe in ways other sorts of literature fall vastly short.

Duncan discusses the use of stories as a means of scholarly literature. Although, to some who argue that scholarly works must include hours upon hours of research and experimentation in order to justify validity, stories allow one to discuss more vital such as thoughts and emotions. Stories allow a writer and reader to connect. For example, I am writing my epiphany on losing a very important game, although other members in my class may not have heard, witnessed or experienced the actually game telling them the story may provide them with the opportunity to experience my personal emotions. Furthermore, it may evoke personal feelings as they too can relate in one way to the story.

In Duncan's story about Steven she describes being new to a school to readers regardless of whether or not you moved as a child throughout school everyone can relate to being new. The first day of class although many of us knew one another we were all knew to the class and the classroom setting in which we found ourselves. Additionally, the language Duncan(1997) uses in describing Steven provides further example for the need of stories "There was nothing exceptional about him no dopey clothes, no bad haircut, no scars or buckteeth-- he looked average, and that was a point in his favor.” ( p.1).

Using such language that could only truly be attained from a firsthand account allows an author to truly put readers in his or her shoes. That to me is the greatest benefit of narratives. Agree with me or not but imagine how great a story each of us could tell about our grade school years.

Until later