Page "Storytelling" Paragraph 23

In oral traditions, stories are kept alive by being re-told again and again.

The material of any given story naturally undergoes several changes and adaptations during this process.

When and where oral tradition was pushed back in favor of print media, the literary idea of the author as originator of a story's authoritative version changed people's perception of stories themselves.

In the following centuries, stories tended to be seen as the work of individuals, rather than a collective effort.

Only recently, when a significant number of influential authors began questioning their own roles, the value of stories as such – independent of authorship – was again recognized.

Literary critics such as Roland Barthes even proclaimed the Death of the Author.