In order to seek counsel that is woven into the real life, it is important to record the images and stories. The best way to get a counsel from a work of art is to be able to tell a story from it. To do this, the choice of information to be included is crucial. According to Benjamin (2006), the process of telling a story has become challenging because storytellers are not able to tell stories effectively because they do not value experience. A good story teller should exchange experience to enhance a good counsel. A good experience gives the storyteller the right information that can be woven into the real life of the community, and provide the right counsel relevant to the community.
In my attempt to record the stories and images I gathered, information about the life of the community based on their stories. The people to be interviewed will provide a lot of information that is necessary to tell a good story that is full of wise counsel. Interviewing and observing several members of the community to get their stories will be essential to get direct experience from the normal lives of the community. Face-to-face communication provides the storyteller with an opportunity to get the firsthand information from the people; and that allows for a richness of information necessary to extract useful information that reflects the day-to-day life experiences of the people.
On of the useful information is the moral experience of the people. It is important to record the norms and rules that guide the people, and how they relate with each other to maintain their coexistence and group relations. This moral experience also allows the writer to identify information related to moral principles guiding the community, and include them in the records or archives. The information should also include how the people apply the moral principles of their communities; how the social norms are used to guide relations; and the visible outcome of moral relations in the community.
Walter William also suggests that economic experience is important to tell a story. In this case, he says that inflation is the necessary information. As the community engages in economic exchanges, I will perhaps observe the prices of products; purchasing power of the people; employment of the people; and economic policies in place. This information is important to show the real-life experience of the community and provide a counsel that is relevant to the economic lives of the people (Solondz 2001).
Information about the religious and political lives of the people should also be collected firsthand. In William’s review, he shows how Leskov used his experience as a member of the Greek Orthodox Church to gain firsthand experience about the religious life of the Greek communities. In my records and archives, I will record the religious images and symbols of the community as well as the religious norms and traditions that guide the community; as well as the political structures and power relations of the community.
This information will provide a good counsel woven in the real life of the people in the community. It is information that derives from firsthand experience and gives life to the story of the community.
- Solondz, Todd. Storytelling. London: Faber and Faber, 2001. Print.
- William, Walter. “The Storyteller.” In Hale, Dorothy J, Ed. The Novel: An Anthology of Criticism and Theory 1900-2000. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishing, 2006.