Mikel B. Hall

ABSTRACT

For millennia, stories have impacted the perspectives of generations. Within these stories exist protagonists and antagonists, each representing the good and bad elements of the story, respectively. Our aesthetic experiences and psychological components influence how we interpret these stories and the world around us. Stories drive the functions of the world; therefore, is it possible that the differing outcomes of stories reinforce society's search for truth, morality, and goodness? In cultures worldwide, specific aesthetic properties can be forged as a nurtured condition, while most are derived from personal experiences. With the combination of all these factors, how does one distinguish a good story? Even more importantly, how constructive are good endings compared to bad endings, and are both endings essential to the progression of the human story? By using contextual analysis through literature ascribed to different periods and cultures, the questions above, and more to follow, will be directly addressed.