The Social Implications of Storytelling

A question I bring up in my forum is "exactly what good to society does storytelling accomplish?" This is based on the completion of the novel, Hope in Hell, a description of doctors without borders. The organization, and rightfully so, sees "raising awareness" as a last resort, often considered a sign of failure. The reason? If the doctors have to resort to storytelling, then it means they have to cease action-- one cannot safely stay in a place one is criticizing...

So, what good does storytelling do? I am trying to figure that one out... and the conclusion I am coming to is that it is a psychiatric therapy to either a despairing society (i.e., the societies that msf attempts to help), or a way of handling an overwhelming apathy to the societies outside of those in need.

How will this definition benefit society? We shall see...