The dictionary meaning of a ‘story’ is an account of historical importance either in fiction or reality which is narrated in verse or prose and meant for amusement, educating, informing or for instructing. Nevertheless, the definition quoted may not always be acceptable across the societies and as influenced by generational change. When Aristotle explained a story, he held that a story is that composition that illustrates the main character that has observable weaknesses and strengths (Moon 1). These features are shown to assist the character in recognizing and overcoming challenges, but in the process develop new problems. The main character, therefore, assumes the cerebrated role of a hero whenever the story could end with him winning. However, whenever the story depicts the main character as a failure, then it is considered a tragedy. Therefore, according to Aristotle, the composition had to have certain features that had to have certain effects to allude to the reader’s or listeners’ emotions. The definition held that in any story, the actions (or failure) of the main character determined the ending which always explain the theme of the story.
Depending on the different purposes for which a composition is made, it, therefore, suits the definition of an amusement story, an educative story, an informing story or even an instructing story. However, in what may be interesting to many, when the readers or listeners take the perspective of a composition as being entertaining in nature, then all other defining purposes outlined fail to hold essence. As such, the definition of any composition to be a story may be subjective as against objective. If a reader or listener assumes the meaning of a composition to be entertaining, then all the episodes presented are subjectively interpreted to confirm the intended purposes. However, the subjective interpretation of a ‘story’ fails to embrace a rational stance and that explains why different people would have differing opinions on the definition of a ‘story’.
This paper, however, takes the objective stance in defining a story. Accordingly, the definition shows that any composition that is written in remembrance of something that have happened or in the fiction form qualifies the interpretation of a story. When an individual narrates past happenings with the aim of informing and entertaining the audience, then such could be termed as a story. Worth noting in the definition is that a story does not have to be written down but that it can be narrated through the word of mouth. Besides, a story may be written or said in the form of a narration with a hidden meaning, and the interpretation could, therefore, be objective or subjective. This paper, therefore, defines a story from different perspectives as seen from the narrator or story teller and the audience perspective.
The plot and the structure of a story may take different dimensions, but the effectiveness of the composition in conveying the message in the form of entertainment, teaching, informing of instructing must be central to the definition. From the definition, a story serves the different purposes outlined but always creates an environment of the listener and audience to ask more questions. For instance, when the story of creation is given in many cultural set-ups, a supreme being is shown to have been responsible for the creation but the audience is always left with unanswered questions but which makes the story interesting. A ‘story’ is, therefore, a composition depicting past happenings or presenting fiction in thought which serves different purposes to the readers or listeners.
Works Cited
Moon, Elizabeth. “Elizabeth Moon: What Is Story?” Elizabeth Moon: What Is Story? 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
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