I truly enjoyed reading Margaret Carlisle Duncan’s 1998 article entitled “Stories We Tell Ourselves About Ourselves”. It was a wonderful combination of stories filled with thick description and explanations of the important elements of these stories. I found the method of Duncan’s (1998) writing particularly effective, as it captured my attention and spread the analytical and narrative throughout the paper.
There were two things within Duncan’s (1998) paper that struck me personally. The first was her story about Steven. Steven was a new student in her class, joining in the middle of her sixth grade fall term. He was short, skinny, had brown eyes and hair, and looked very average (Duncan, 1998, p. 95). What struck me so much about this story was the fact that, in some ways, I was Steven. I too was a new student in the middle of my sixth grade fall semester. I too was short, skinny, had brown eyes and hair, and looked very average. While I did not have a particular problem with dodge ball performance, I did have a slight accent and dress funny. I was moving from rural Missouri to sub-urban Ohio. Ohio kids listened to rock and rap, while I listened to country music. I wore a belt and tucked in my shirt, a point that was particularly the focus of ridicule until I finally caved to the pressure and changed.
Her description of the cafeteria line and lunchroom particularly disturbed me. While, thankfully, no one was grabbing at my crotch, I was tortured for being new and different. I ate lunch alone for my first several weeks. One particularly viscous group of children would throw food at me and ask me vulgar questions those first months. While Duncan was on the outside looking in, I believe she captured Steven’s experience and created a true story (Duncan, 1998).
I also found Duncan’s (1998) approach of a hierarchy of voices to be an interesting technique. I have never considered the importance of taking the role of the “Other” in a narrative (Duncan, 1998). It emphasizes that most important ability, empathy. Without the ability to share the feelings of others, it is difficult or impossible to move to a higher level of thought. It reminds me of the important developmental step of children, when they realize that their actions have consequences on other feelings.
Wow! This is a great entry about your response to Margaret Duncan's article. Would you mind if I shared it with her? I think she would be moved to know that it resonated with you like this. I think your response also demonstrates that her writing was "evocative," in that it took you back to moments in your past when you had some of the feelings she described. Thank you for sharing this, Anthony.
ReplyDeleteBeing different is hard and suffering. I was a happy, outgoing, and talkable girl in China. limiting with my lanuage skill (I don't have lanuage gift at all Q.Q), I am unable to express myself clearly. Thank you for sharing your experience! It reminds me that everyone is different, and I should be more positive!
ReplyDeleteDead on, Anthony. Duncan's article really resonated with me as well. She really illustrated how narratives help us identify with a topic or issue by putting ourselves in the role of the "Other." I think everyone can relate to at least some aspect of at least one of those stories in the article. In this, we can really see how effective narratives can be.
ReplyDeleteFrom reading this article, your posts, and the others comments it seems to me that every single person at some point in their life has suffered the indignation of being ridiculed. While this realization might be of little comfort at the time, it may provide some measure of solace to help us past those moments. I certainly know it will help me. My most poignant memories of being picked on come from the 7th and 8th grade. I’m able to put those memories a little farther behind me as I think of those that caused the pain having issues of their own.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great example of an evocative writing! It connects to us on such a personal level that it helps us to grow in our own lives.
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ReplyDeleteI also liked this article because of the way it was written. I hope to write my narrative in such a way to draw people in and really understand what I was feeling at the time. My favorite story was the Dr. Atkins because I feel that so many young people, especially females feel pressured to look a certain way. Athletes in particular fall victim to the diet fad. Unfortunately, these athletes are hurting themselves in an atempt to lose weight. I liked the end of the story because the woman realized she doesn't have to make herself sick. I felt like I could relate to the women, which shows how well the author wrote the story.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the narrative that I wrote (our epiphanies) resonated with those reading it as much as this article did. I truly enjoyed reading it as well. Like Matt stated, I think that at some point in everyone's lives, they go through some form of ridicule or bullying. If we are able to look back on it in the future, we will only realize that it has made us stronger now. I have always been told that those who pick on others are hiding their own insecurities by placing the focus on others' imperfections.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of being the "other" was also very insightful for me. By being able to understand the pain that others are going through, I think that it helps me to realize that when I do have bad times, they really are not that bad as compared to what they could potentially be. If we can empathize with others, I think we are better people for it!