Samuel Swenson-Reinhold: "On Stories" & Living vs. Observing

 In his essay "On Stories", C.S. Lewis writes this: "Consider, again, the enormous difference between being shut out and being shut in: if you like, between agoraphobia and claustraphobia." (11)

I do believe that this quotation embodies the heart of C.S. Lewis' approach to storytelling and the main message of this class: stories are best when we get to participate in them. But upon reflection, I realize that while I would still consider some stories better or worse than other stories, it is completely up to the individual reader. The stories that I really enjoy tend to be those written in the form of fantasy and science fiction. I've probably taken more lessons from these two genres of fiction that I have any other genre of writing, ironically. However my roommate - a History major and geek - is someone who doesn't connect with fantasy and science fiction like I do. He enjoys his documentaries and historical fiction. The ways in which we get into stories varies from person to person. So what then is the job of the author? Is it to write a story that appeals to the widest audience, or to write a profoundly impactful story for a few people? (This reminds of me of the esoteric education debate: am I teaching to cover the curriculum, or am I also teaching to elevate a few students?)

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