Haroun's Fantasy Journey

Stories are the central means by which we demonstrate our desire for a meaningful life. It is through stories that we convey our wishes, fears, and values. It is through stories, and through the sense of our lives as a story, with a beginning, middle, and end, which we create a sense of purpose and direction. Through the stories we tell and the stories that engage our interest that we reveal, and discover where we …

…The very fact that fictional stories do not necessarily represent reality constitutes their strength: even if no happy ending is likely in real life, it is always possible to create one imaginatively. People associate stories they hear to their lives. The story may not relate exactly to an issue their having but the underlying moral of the story may help them find a solution to their problem or to a question they’ve been pondering.