Delight or Challenge: The Role of a Storyteller (Opinion)

For me, it was really cool to finally be part of a class where real things were discussed... It was fascinating to me to dissect the short films shown, especially the one of the little girl in slow motion. To most people, it was just a scary film, one that caused the audience to expect an impending doom. However, it was really a play on the mind. The director took something totally innocent, a child, and made them appear frighteningly scary. In my opinion, it exemplified the human condition: an inherent evil nature exists in each of us, even in the most seemingly innocent people (children, in the film's case).

In today's fast-paced society, most people don't stop to think about the literature they're watching. That's why, to me, it's important to create a message with meaning - not just to entertain. David Mamet says, "Dramatists who aim to change the world assume a moral superiority to the audience and allow the audience to assume a moral superiority to those people in the play who don't accept the views of the hero....It's not the dramatist's job to bring about social change. There are great men and great women who effect social change."

However, I disagree. I personally believe that a dramatist's portrayal can at least sway or influence opinion on certain social issues. As CS Lewis said: “When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less.” I believe drama, through film or other forms of literature, can help influence the way we see ourselves, possibly portraying the human condition...a sin nature...and a cure...through Jesus.