Think About the Epic (pg.20)

Beowulf was originally an oral tale. What kinds of stories can be saved today by means other than books? How does telling a story out loud keep it alive?


Many kinds stories can be saved today by media because of the improvement of media by means of technology. For example, the fantastic epic, the Lord of the Rings was saved and spread out effectively all over the world by the release of a series of its movies. Alice in Wonderland, an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, is another example of fiction saved by media. It has been made into cartoon, comic and movies, including the recently release one by Disney. Although, movies sometimes change or emit the details of stories, they present the ideas and theme of stories in a enjoyable way for people to know about the stories. Romantic stories can also saved not only by books but also by songs. For example, the song Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree tells a story about a man, who has finished his time in prison, asking his wife whether she still want him or not. Telling a story out loud keeps it alive because it makes them special and distinguished from others written in books. Nowadays, beside reading books, many people enjoy listening to songs and audio books, and watching movies. Telling a story helps the audience better understand and experience the story by the tone and sounds.