Embedded Files
a reflection of Decameron
Winkle, Chris. 30 Nov. 2018.
Freer
Freer
In the world of storytelling, we have the power to express our desires, needs, and imagination beyond what has already been established. We aren't constrained to limitations on what we can create and publish as the government has given us the right to free speech to express our values and beliefs.
For me, storytelling allows you to find a space of solace in the events happening in the real world, whether it be your own personal life or the outside world. When talking about the storytelling that takes place in the Decameron, Professor Shemek describes storytelling as "this creative activity in a separate, marginal world [that] affords them (the brigata) the freedom and safety to imagine, to take risks, and to sort through the human experience". Storytelling is a place where we can forget about our troubles, and explore beyond the physical world. We can create versions of the real world to suffice for the corruption occurring in our little bubbles. We can run through trial and error, expressing our ideas without fear of being punished/face consequences.
The storytelling that occurs in the Decameron invites readers to gain insight about lessons that can be applied in real life such as being aware of fake news. Each day of the Decameron is provided with a new theme. Each theme is then expressed in multiple ways as each day has multiple stories within. To simplify, the Decameron is a world within a world written for the world (say that three times). The novella is a prime example of using storytelling to forget about the outside world, and allow yourself the opportunity to be happy and prosperous with an imaginative world.
“Stories are memory aids, instruction manuals and moral compasses.” - Aleks Krotoski, 2011
Photograph by Taylor Huynh
Photograph by Taylor Huynh
In the time I've been here at UCI, I've noticed that everyone is their own respective bubble. Every day I pass by hundreds of faces and the next day, I pass by a couple hundred more: all of which are unrecognizable to me aside from a handful of people. Everyone has their own life, all experiences triumphs and defeats at different times. To this, UCI is more of a liminal space than it is pastoral. But there's always more than just the surface level picture.
As I mentioned, everyone has different things going on, whether that be studying for a test in the Langston library or playing basketball at the ARC. At UCI, students are provided with hundreds of opportunities to retreat, reflect, and direct their desires. Though everyone has their own world going on; as a whole, we create a large, complex, unique world at UCI. While UCI can be seen as a liminal space for students as they transition in the real world while earning an education, the activities and opportunities provided to students makes UCI its own world of happiness and chances.
For me, I find my solace every day by enjoying the little things I encounter at UCI. I often bring my camera to school to document the instances in my day that make me smile. The first image above is a photo of my friend from UCR playing against our own UCI Men's Soccer Club and the other image is a photograph of a delivery robot. I tell my story of the world by the documentation of photos: for others, people might tell their side of life through words, images, and etc.
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