In Nicole Krauss’ short story, “The Young Painters,” the narrator struggles to come to terms with the aftermath of writing about a family’s tragedy, despite only knowing them through a story told by a friend during a dinner party. The narrator never sought permission from the friend, nor input to tell an accurate story. From the narrator’s perspective, she had every right to imagine, share and embellish, “The writer should not be cramped by the possible consequences of her work. She has no duty to earthly accuracy or verisimilitude.” However, the narrator also expresses guilt about how her writing impacted her unsuspecting friend. The push and pull in Krauss’ story represent ethical considerations that many likely struggle with when writing about others. Where does one draw the line between fiction and nonfiction?
Another examination of storytelling ethics takes place in “An Honest Exit” by Dinaw Mengestu. The narrator, a teacher, spends class sessions telling stories about his recently deceased father, about whom he doesn’t know much. Therefore, he uses his imagination to fill in the gaps in his storytelling, potentially as a way to cope with the magnitude of the loss. In doing so, he wins the students’ empathy. Confronted by the dean, however, he admits to the factual inaccuracies in his stories. The dean’s response is unexpected: the validity of the content is secondary to the students’ ability to learn. Mengestu’s story explores a variety of ethical questions about honesty and accuracy of storytelling in teaching and education. Perhaps such storytelling is a coping mechanism for the narrator. But then, how might the students react upon realizing that their teacher made up stories? And, does passing down “true stories” to the next generation matter if they are not rooted in fact?
If these questions leave you wondering, I would encourage you to read both short stories, which are part of the collection “20 Under 40,” published by The New Yorker. Recent issues of The New Yorker are available on Libby.
Photo by Tom Hermans on Unsplash