You are saying, are you not, I said to Manuelito, that stories have more room in them than ideas? {...} He laughed. That is correct, Señor. It is as if ideas are made of blocks. Rigid and hard. And stories are made of a gauze that is elastic. You can almost see through it, so what is beyond is tantalizing. You can't quite make it out; and because the imagination is always moving forward, you yourself are constantly stretching. Stories are the way spirit is exercised.
The quote from Alice Walker's "By The Light Of My Father's Smile" highlights the difference between stories and ideas. Ideas are depicted as rigid and fixed, like blocks, while stories are described as flexible and transparent, allowing for deeper engagement with the imagination. This distinction emphasizes the dynamic nature of storytelling, which invites exploration beyond what is immediately visible.
Walker suggests that stories serve as a conduit for the spirit, allowing...
