Zach Wilson--Outside Reading 4

Big Fish is a novel and also a movie which describes the place of myth within society.  It is the story of William Bloom, whose estranged father is on his deathbed.  William and his father had become estranged due to his father's frequent use of myth to tell the stories of his adventures as a youth.  William sees his father as a blatant compulsive liar, and this perception drives him away from his father, Edward.  For example, Edward tells the story of William's birth, how on the day he was born, Edward was catching an uncatchable fish with his wedding ring as bait.
William tries to reconcile with his father, who tells him even more stories, yet over the process of the stories, he slowly starts to see his father as more acceptable, as all of the myths which Edward tells have some seed in reality.  It is this point which Chesterton makes in his book Orthodoxy, where he discusses the 'Ethics of Elfland', and the importance of myth.  Chesterton writes: "I am still as much concerned as ever about the Battle of Armageddon; but I am not so much concerned about the General Election."  This explains the utility of myth.  It allows us to make everyday decisions and assign importance based upon stories that are hard wired within us.