Invictus/Ransom prompt help

[rheachoudhary]

Could you please give some ideas for the following prompt:
Compare how Invictus and Ransom explore the importance of storytelling.

All I've got so far is that storytelling fosters connections between people. How do I discuss Malouf's quote of being a "stealer of men's tales"?

[OZLexico]

You could think about what sort of storytelling occurs in both texts e.g. in "Ransom", there's Achilles' memory of the arrival of Patroclus, Priam's story about his childhood as Podarces and the "chance" that gave him back his position as king.  There's also Somax's story about his family,  In "Invictus" Mandela refers to his time on Robben Island, but there's also Eastwood's cinematic "storytelling" of the Springboks progress to become World Cup winners.  Another type of storytelling is in the "newsreel" style introduction to Mandela's rise to become President. Think about what these different styles of storytelling can convey - some are used to compress events and give the audience important background knowledge, some are used to highlight turning points in the life of particular characters. Some will convey inner thoughts and emotional responses (like Somax's stories about his family).  Some of these stories may also have a symbolic importance (I think the focus on the rugby at the end of the film is a kind of reflection of the South African struggle for unity - Eastwood doesn't show you the demonstrations, riots and shootings, he shows you the "combat" of rugby instead).  I hope these comments are helpful for giving you a start with this topic.

[sdfg]

In the context of the book, the "stealer of men's tales" quote is basically suggesting that the entire novel is told from Somax's perspective (and misconstrued accordingly). Cause if you think about, Somax is just some peasant but he's portrayed as this sage old man with a wealth of worldly experience, whilst Priam - the king - who instead of being portrayed as all high and mighty like you would expect, is shown to be a childlike, stubborn and frail old man who has failed in both regards as king and father. How does Somax's telling of the story affect how he is viewed (keep in mind that he is a peasant during a time of kings, queens and gods)? The answer to this should hopefully give you some ideas to write about and answer your question about how to discuss the quote in your essay.

Good luck!

[happydays2]

You could also bring in the concept of creating new narratives, as  - by doing something 'new'.