TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE AND EXPOSING REALITY WITH STORIES

Name of the Student:

Name of the University:

Author Note:

Stage 1: Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

The study is about establishing the story in the book Fight Club that changed the general perspective of story-telling and gave its reader a new perspective in human psychology. The book reflects the alternate reality that every individual considers to be the ultimate one until they become aware of a completely new concept which reflects a whole new perspective that leads to a new understanding of reality. Life is perceived differently once the book showcases the alternate reality an individual can have considering Tyler a character in the book is the alter ego of the narrator however, the narrator realizes that after a long time. there are moments in the book that compels a reader to look beyond the materialistic possessions and pride on objects because it shows how an individual has two personalities, one who plays safe, is scared, works hard, and believe everything that the world tells him to believe. Another personality is the brave one, rebels against injustice take changes and try to expose the fakeness of the world.

The book reflects that there is a process in which the world thinks and functions and every individual function however that is not the only way. As a reader, the concepts and thoughts of the narrator in the book uprooted a lot of things that were supposed to be permanent markers in life. Considering the narrator’s perspective, “Listen to me…” is Tyler’s call in the book which symbolized humans to listen to their inner self above all else. To state, there grows a niggling thought in mind that all things that an individual wants to achieve in life such as education, money, life partner, car, home, and other such requirements do not give a person, mental satisfaction. The book forces question out of a deep-rooted understanding of achievements and targets being set as a person. Considering once a person dies, he gets none of the things, he spent his life acquiring. The way the narrator poses the concept of the fight, where he and Tyler fight to feel alive gives way to doubt the existence of mankind.

The world and its societies run a certain way where they judge and justify every action of every individual however after reading this book, there has been a mental awareness of leading life differently. The conceptualization portrayed by Palahniuk forces a reader to consider a different way that might fulfill the mental blank or emptiness, it feels inside. “for my grandfather…” the narrator says that his grandfather always laughs when he tells the story of his life which constitute of grandmother, marriage, and cancer. This line reflects the need for humans to consume and achieve without being fully emerged of their capacity to enjoy life by living every moment. The present worldview has been challenged by the narrative constructed and developed among two characters by the book. The characters are one person, the narrator, and Tyler who reflect two types of humans. Tyler, the alter ego is aware of his surroundings and is working hard to develop his niche there. Another type is the narrator, in reality, who to date worked in the regular process of the world, where achieving materials things in life is a celebratory event. Concepts of death, life, reality are all constricted fit a certain mold in the world however the book constructs a different structure for these aspects.

A different view is a mandatory approach once the book “Fight Club” is read considering it provides a perspective of reality that is usually not considered in the world, where everything is mostly materialistic. To feel alive is the reality that is proposed in the book and after reading it, the demand to think out of regular luxury which is considered a need is developed. The narrator reflects on the partiality and the injustices happening in the society where money and rich people are considered to be powerful. “the rich people, the people…” phrases the significance of money used for doing anything illegal, unethical or wrong in the world and then covering it up. There is an element of consciousness development when it comes to the treatment received by society and it politicizes the mentality considering this is the reason why the book and its story is different. As a woman, reading this book reflected the part of consciousness which has to be subdued to appear normal in society. There always has been an underlying thought of being scared to express too much, study too much, know too much as a woman because of the society than either tag you as a witch or a man-hater. In the modern world, the dirty word is “feminist” just because the injustice in the society and the political and socio-cultural manipulations are expressed clearly hence this book felt like a beacon to awaken that consciousness.

As a personality, expressing one’s thoughts or taking a stand against any injustice was a part that was ignored for a long time considering the society did not accept it as normal. This book and its narrative cast a light on that part where taking a stand and having a different perspective than everybody else must be accepted personally. The biggest struggle comes when society makes a person believe that their consciousness and mentality are not right or enough to survive in this world however the author of this book proved with his characters that accepting oneself is the biggest achievement on the face of the injustice. The nation is underdeveloped and political figures and parties are all utilizing the mentality of individuals to achieve their agenda. the family has always been a strong area where support was provided however this book gave the realization that people in the family are proud of themselves for supporting an unusual or different personality so that she could survive the harshness of the world. The culture developed in the society and their communities reflect the same dignity to support a person as if they have the power or they are the authority to sanction a person’s individual choice or stand in life.

This book showcases life as a little less normal considering it influences the awareness of the mind and it reflects the companionship, a mind requires. Knowledge and its utilization have been one of the factors reflected in the story where Tyler gives clarity to the narrator regarding the predictability of other people. This book has helped develop a new perspective on passing judgment and the reflection of rebellion on social injustice. To feel more alive, the narrator suggests fighting every indignation or injustice that is ever felt by the inner consciousness. Prosecuting someone mentally without having prior knowledge of their action is something that has changed after reading the book.

Stage 2: The Color Purple by Alice Walker

OPEN LETTER: To all men and women globally

Objective: Protecting women from oppression and partiality

This letter is directed and meant for all men and women in the world who consider themselves an authority on the treatment of women and their decisions in life. The objective of the letter is to construct a perspective in life that reflects both men and women as equal, not physically but mentally. It is to ensure and clearly state that men and women cannot and do not want to be equal physically considering both have their roles to play in society and its narrative of the world. However, equality is a right that every woman when she is born owns, and that is taken away from her when her gender is revealed. The letter is an inspiration from the book, The color purple written by Alice Walker and it reflects the voice of a woman, a black woman. Being a woman is in itself is difficult in the world considering the law of struggle, achievements, and survival techniques of a woman differ from a man. The work by Alice Walker addresses the mind of a strong woman by writing “I tell her one thing, she does another” in the form of Celie’s son reflecting that women do not need telling. It is important to understand that the narrative of the book is a series of letters and the author does not feel the need to justify or clarify the storyline where there are gaps between the letter. This is a reflection of what men and women do to people inferior to them all over the world, especially women of color who are judged for something they are not even responsible for. The concept of slavery as a native America has become common and popular for many with white skin however to shed more light on the dictation that white people consider their rights, people of color have the same rights as them. This story is not just a story but a narration of reality every woman faces at some point in their life or other and the degree of obstruction and domination varies but it never stops. The writer, Alice Walker is herself a woman of color, and her work was the resignation of all these instances and oppression she faced in her life. The book is considered an intense depiction of a woman who is violated by her own family and this is where the disappointment begins. “Bible says. Honor father…” this sentence is a reflection of how early childhood teachings of religion can impact the development of a young girl’s mind so when she is violated, she does not speak up. The language used in the book is called the black folk language that was developed when people of color were treated as slaves and they developed this language from the English language that they picked from their masters. A change is needed in the way women of color, women of different races and religions, women with ambition, women with talent and creativity, women with capability and aspirations, and other women are treated. The dues that society keeps talking about hardly come for all women because it has been seen that the partiality and the judgment are not only passed by the opposite gender but also the same gender.

Education is one aspect that has always been held away from little girls and women because the rule-makers of society justify it as the need for development. Men have been considered the ones to learn, educate, gain knowledge, and then have a right to earn money while women are considered to be the caretakers of the men, their house and their children. The inferiority of women to acquire knowledge is not inherent, it has been developed over the centuries by the society that is scared of the excellent contribution performed by women. Women for this reason has been subjected to alcoholism and abuse due to the rights given to men to treat women as if they own them and they have the authority on them. “Celie, he says, you have my sympathy…” the author shows the inability of a woman who has no say in the matter of her husband bringing her mistress home reflecting the level of disgrace a woman has to face. The book by Walker justifies the reason Celie is dominated and misbehaved with by her father, her husband, and others because she has been taught that women are inferior to men. Women are taught to ask for God’s forgiveness when a crisis hits them or something unfortunate happens to them because they are at fault.

The protagonist of the story, Celie is a scared girl who is let down by her family, society, and the world and all she can do is submit to God. Every letter of her to God reflects her detailed perspective of submission to him without complaining. The writer has given the protagonist an awareness that God is unable to help her, which might also symbolize the psychological state of the writer herself who for a long time thought that maybe God would not help her. Characters such as Celie are the ones who are brought up their whole life in a vacuum of feelings and emotions. Her story revolves around her existence in life which is hardly respected or needed by people around her except her little sister. According to her letters, she informs that her father is someone who does not love her and has violated her again and again and she did not receive any love from her mother because she was physically and mentally ill. All these three characters are developed by the writer to resemble the inefficient and ineffective community, society, and family surroundings existing in the real world. Celie’s husband is another entity developed in this story by the writer who considers it his right to disrespect, manipulate, and misbehave with her due to his masculinity. The change of empowering women and promoting their capability and talent at the forefront is promoted by the writer with the induction of characters such as Shug and Sofia in the life of the protagonist Celie. They resemble the change that is demanded in this letter where the importance of a woman’s life and her rights must be accepted as natural order in society. Men should not be the authority to tell women what to do or not to do or punish them for their actions, that is for the law to decide which should be impartial and just for all.

Reforming the ideas of the world when judged from the patriarchal view of society is the initiative of the letter because it demands to be read and heard. The book offers a vision that is specific and develops its roots from the author’s experience of the world. The reforms are the example of many women with husbands like Harpo who sound proud even when they complain about her. Women can handle any crisis and emergency and that is the reason why men should stop taking it personally and give women a chance to run as their equal, intellectually. Women in a powerful position must use it to influence more women and pave the path towards a better vision. A vision that the author is trying to develop in this book reflects every woman’s world of equality, recognition, peace, respect, dignity, and support from the society, their community, their loved ones and the world in general.

Stage 3: a verbal montage of The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

The woman was walking alone on the road, coming back from work while Victor Joseph was sitting on his porch getting drunk.  The woman probably lived on the reservation however victor has never seen her before and that is why he kept looking at her long shadow to know, which way she was going. The darkness made her shadow long on the road and for a moment victor that it’s her, the only woman he had ever loved. He tried to sober up because he knew the more he drank, the more he hallucinated her. The woman disappeared towards the bend on the road and it was deep in the reservation hence Victor did not think anything compensation, The white woman, Victor is in love with sometimes confuses him and leads him to think of weird things but mostly it’s the beer. Drinking is something that Victor cannot seem to stop and the more he drinks, the more remembers past incidents, his parents, their love, and the pain. Everything around Victor revolves around pain after he starts drinking and that is why he has decided to stop.

Every morning when he wakes up from his hangover, he promises himself when he braids his hair that he will stop drinking. Indians are believers in strong will and their hair means a lot for them considering it reflects their pride and their culture. The culture of Indians and the indigenous people are filled with richness, love, family and they bond with other with pureness in heart, however, the way they have been treated has instilled pain in their life. Victor’s life is a reflection of this pain and this is why every time he makes a promise, he is unable to keep it. Every night he feels lonely in his house on the reservation and it leads him back to the bar to get drunk and dance. When dances, he feels that all pain in his life is going away hence he keeps dancing however he is unable to forget his pain neither he can sleep once he gets drunk. The beer feels like an addiction however he must establish power on his addiction for his good and all these random thoughts were going around his mind when he heard a shout from afar. Victor was flabbergasted for a moment however his first instinct was to justify it as an impact of his drinking however the sound came once more and it was closed on the road. Victor ran at full speed towards the end of the road, the woman went to. The road was mostly dark with shadows on it from trees and tall grasses on the side still it took Victor one moment to discern the blackness of the blood that was oozing out from the back of the woman’s head. Her body was on the road, stretched like it was trying to run when something hit her on the head and the first thought that came to mind was an animal attack. Considering the reservation has a good number of wild animals still left after the hunting has stopped however Victor realized that if an animal did attack the woman, it should take the woman’s body to eat however that was not the case. Victor calls one of his uncles who lives nearer and asks him to inform the local police station that they need help because he thinks someone on the reservation just committed murder. It is expected that the world has a certain perspective in which they see Indians however Victor never thought there could be a killer in the reservation and then he realizes pain can make a person do things, he never thought he would. The Cherokee tribe who lives just across the vast expanse of jungle between the reservation grounds and the high road were also informed.

The police came and worked and Victor tried to inform and provide them with details as much as he could regarding the woman and when he first saw her walking on the road towards this bend. The police investigated and asked everybody and it solved one of the queries Victor had that no one on the reservation knew the woman or knew what she was doing there. The woman had a small bag with her however, there was no information about her on any of her belongings. The police asked them all to not worry and promised to investigate the matter as thoroughly as possible. Victor came home saw his beer bottle and realized, he would not sleep tonight, not because he was drunk but because he will keep seeing the woman walk down the road towards her death and do nothing.

Artist’s response: The verbal montage of The Lone Ranger is a development of another short story that the narrator and Victor have in common where the importance of certain actions in life is being expressed. The media that is developed is completely authenticated and though the characters and certain words are a common occurrence between the actual work of the author and mine, there has been no copy-pasting of any kind. Many stories are an all different reflection of this book, showcases different aspects of humans and they are divulged and explored to understand and establish the importance of the news story that has been developed. The process of production was mostly the cut and paste method however as a writer, the book inspired me with its stories to write a story that will reflect my perspective of the reservation and its people. The tone of the story is mostly emotional and it tries to influence the importance of humans, communities, and their feelings towards each other. alcoholism and pain are other two themes that have been highly used in the stories of Alexie hence they are used in the short story that created because these two themes are concurrent in the reality of humans as well. Stories are a part of experiences a person goes through and they reflect the reality hence my story uses real feelings and experiences to develop. As an artist, it has been very important for me to get inspired and it helps me to understand and rectify my mistakes by learning about all these writers and their work in detail. The short story written by me will reflect my understanding of the characters developed in the book by Alexie and his intentions to develop a narrative where racism, native people of any country, and other such people who are considered outsiders are given recognition and their perspective are known.

References

Alexie, S. (2013). The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight In Heaven | Sherman Alexie. Chabrieres.pagesperso-orange.fr. Retrieved 27 July 2020, from https://chabrieres.pagesperso-orange.fr/texts/loneranger.html.

Palahniuk, C. (1996). Fight Club – Chuck Palahniuk.pdf. Docs.google.com. Retrieved 27 July 2020, from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxuZXQyY29tcGV0aXRpdmVleGFtc2luZGlhfGd4OjEzZWEyNzQ1NGFiN2E5Mzc.

Walker, A. (1982). Full text of “the-color-purple-alice-walker”. Archive.org. Retrieved 27 July 2020, from https://archive.org/stream/the-color-purple-alice-walker/the-color-purple-alice-walker_djvu.txt.