Stories are glimpses into the past and lessons for the future. Humans have used stories as a form of passing knowledge through generations for hundreds of years and stories play a vital role in the survival of human society. Stories teach customs and behaviors, mistakes and improvements. Without stories humans would continue to repeat mistakes made in the past and never be able to improve nor change for a better future. Understanding the lives of our ancestors helps us learn and use our lives as times to keep moving forward on things they started. If we can understand the past then we have a chance for a brighter and better future.
In Sold, by Patricia McCormick, the stories told to Lakshmi and the overall story itself, are both good examples of how important stories are to humanity. Lakshmi is told stories throughout the book to help her cope with whichever situation she is in at the time; when she is still living at home her mother teaches her the customs of how to be a good women, “At night […] I will tell you everything you need to know” (14), when she first gets to the Happiness House all the other girls tell her key information to stay safe at the house, and in the end of the book, when the American comes to give her a chance to escape, she uses her own life story to help set herself free, “My name is Lakshmi,’ I say. ‘I am from Nepal. I am fourteen years old"' (263). In each situation stories have not only played a vital role in Lakshmi’s life but also in the thoughts of the reader. Reading the story itself is a way for people to learn about the horrible situations in Nepal in order to help prevent them from happining in the future. Stories have always been important for humans in all kinds of situations and will always be.
I agree that stories "are glimpses into the past and lessons for the future" (love how you said that!). From reading SOLD you can definately learn from it and try to prevent something like it from happening. "These young women have experienced what many people would describe as unspeakable horrors. But they are speaking out-with great dignity." (authors note)It is like what they say about the Holocaust; to remember and never repeat. The only problem is that sex trafficking is still a horrid situation that is happing right now.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying, and that Lakshmi is told stories in the Happiness House to help her learn her way. Like you said the girls teach her how to act, dress, and look. There are also other stories she was told that maybe didn't help her for the future. Like how her friend Anita said that if she ever went with the Americans that she would be publicly shamed, and in fact that was not true. So as well as stories teaching us, they can also be used as tricks.
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