Bruner

Jerome Bruner: Laws, Life, and Literature Jerome Bruner states “we have implicit intuitions about how to make a story or how to get the point of one.” The book starts by explaining the structure of narrative, using the concept of peripetia. “Peripetia is a sudden reversal of fortune stories,

presumably in contrast to logic or science, seen too susceptible to ulteriority, to special pleading and particularly to malice. Bruner argues that stories focus not on what is, but what could be or might be. I believe this to be true because to some We can

extent, although we can only live in the present.

forecast and predict what may occur in the future but all stories are derived from our past experiences. Story can prepare us for the unforeseen expectations of the future. Bruner makes several comparisons and correlations about law being similar to literary works. I believe that some of the

comparisons on how stories are formulated to be quite true based off his observations and references.

Bruner explores the challenging issues of self, whether it is something that exists within us or is in a constant state of creation. He states that there is no such thing as an essential

self, but something that is rather constructed as a narrative to meet the needs that we encounter. He lists many characteristics

that were derived from several psychologists and compares them to many characteristics of narrative. Bruner believes narrative

to be the essential means by which we express human aspirations and that stories are structured on what we experience. I

totally agree with this statement that all stories are based on individual life experiences; however, one must be open to prefabricated stories and whether the truth may or may not exist. Bruner concludes by discussing a couple different

features of language and how they tie together to form one relationship which constitutes narrative, a language within itself.