Secondary Research

                In my secondary research I decided to look into why humans share stories in the first place. I believe that this will give me a better idea into the goal of a storyteller, and what they are trying to prove or evoke. I was able o find an article written by Jonah Berger, in a journal from the Association for Psychological Science. Berger states that “the sharing of stories or information may be driven in part by arousal. When people are physiologically aroused, whether due to emotional stimuli or otherwise, the autonomic nervous is activated, which then boosts social transmission. Simply put, evoking certain emotions can help increase the chance a message is shared” (Berger 1). Related to the novel The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, we can see that he shares stories because hey are important to him. These stories are a way to vent his emotions and feelings. Berger also goes on to state that “feeling fearful, angry, or amused drives people to share news and information” (Berger 1). These feeling are probably very relevant in O’Brien’s memories of Vietnam. Possibly another reason he shares his stories, and sometimes very detailed.

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630131838.htm