The little analytic philosopher in me was getting restless, so I decided to give him something to do. And so I decided to do a little musing on the subject of stories. A story is comprised of two objects: a series of actions (plot) and the people related to those actions (characters). By combining these two elements you get a story. Now all stories have a “point” to them; I call this the “the moral of the story.” And of all the stories in all the world, there are three types of morals which I will explain in order from worst to best.
First, there is the entertainment moral. These are the stories that the major emphasis is on the plot. Pick out any Hollywood movie, and the odds are likely that it is this type of story. Now, I say that this category is the worst of the three morals, but that does not mean that these stories are in bad. If you haven’t already, go and read the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The focus is on the plot and makes for an enjoyable read.
The second is the character moral. This is a little harder to define because it takes plot to develop characters well. Chick flicks are usually examples of this kind of story, although many of those movies do character development so poorly they are not worth watching. The movie Inception is a great example of a character focused story; plus it has great action for those who dislike characterization. For the more literary minded, Stephen King’s main strength is his character explorations.
The last and best is the moral moral. These stories are all about imparting some lasting life lesson. In Hollywood, this is a rare story indeed. I believe the most recent movie I have seen any type of intentional moral is the Men Who Stare at Goats, yet this also had an emphasis in plot so I can’t really count this. But even though it is missing in Hollywood, it is not as uncommon in books. The best author I have found at this is the great man himself, C.S. Lewis. Even though his plots aren’t phenomenal and his characters aren’t the best, his stories have crystal clear morals which have made them endearing for the last three generations.
Every story contains all three types of morals; in some cases, the moral might be unintended. That is why careful writers make sure that their stories match their worldview. Beware. Many times the moral moral is imperceptible; the life lesson is learned more through osmosis than active awareness. The type of stories you choose to consume will determine the type of person you become. And so I give you this advice: make sure the moral of the story is a good one.
Justified Beliefs 