Humanities 4/5-Sallee
“The Most Human Art”
What this is:
In this article, the author outlines ten reasons why he thinks stories and storytelling are
important to us as a culture and a society.
Why you are reading it:
One of the Essential Questions of this course, and indeed of all the senior electives, is "How do
stories shape and define us?" The "us" means, of course, we as individuals and we as any of the
many communities to which we belong—for example family, friends, faith, teams, etc. All
cultures in the world have stories. All literature is story. This very basic concept of human
communication and interaction carries through all the texts and units we will explore for the
next nine months. From pre-literate society to hyper-literate ones, the power of story remains.
Assignment:
Read the article and then write a short paper in response to the prompt [see below]
Be prepared to share and discuss your work in class the next day, either as a class or in small
groups.
Prompt:
Level 4
Write a one-page paper in which you reflect upon one or two of the reasons Sanders gives for
why we need stories. Support your choice with two or three examples from real life, stories or
books you have read, and/or films you have seen.
Level 5
Write a two-page paper in which you agree with two of the reasons Sanders gives for why we
need stories. Support your choice with several examples from real life, stories or books you have
read, and/or films you have seen.
Ink or typed, proper MLA heading please