Master Narrative Research Paper

The Master of Defining Master Narrative
Life is a history of master narratives, controlling the views of many individuals. The definition of master narrative can seem quite vague, but the values and limitations it holds give it purpose in the world. Whether or not the purpose of a master narrative is acknowledged varies between each person. Master narratives are not always right or wrong— true or false, good or bad— they are a way to marginalize society into thinking a certain way. Master Narratives always have and always will shape the beliefs and knowledge of the world by defining and defying society’s thoughts, emotions, and actions through the stereotypical views of our world.
Master narrative is a concept that describes the overall ‘story’
What is not clearly defined, is the whole definition of what master narratives ‘could be’ in all other ideological groups, races, regions, religions, cultures, sexes, etc. If a person is based in a certain group, for example: females, African Americans, Canadians, elderly, teenagers… it does not mean they have to believe everything or agree with the ‘master narratives’ that go along with the stereotypical consensus of those groups. As Robert Fulford describes in his article on master narrative, “they [master narratives] are often wrong in significant ways,” they are overgeneralized, distorted, and belittling (31). Postmodernism comes into play when the realization that a single persons truths or beliefs may be vastly different from anyone else’s. The point of postmodernism is not to search for the truth, but to understand the concept that everyone has their own perception of these truths. Master narratives and postmodernism go hand-in-hand as there is no absolute truth that every person on Earth abides to, therefore there are thousands of different master narratives. A
The limits that construct master narratives rely on facts and order; they have an expiry date, are not very descriptive, are able to alternate, and provide the basic framework of the event or story. Master narratives cannot be only one person’s idea, concept, belief, or life story. They are the overall ‘thoughts’ of society, from which individual ideas and beliefs branch out from. Master narratives provide society with bases of knowledge and a guideline for conducting daily life. Historical events, thoughts on society or religion, what we think is good or bad, right or wrong, all have to do with master narratives. If there were not master narratives like: The Bible, Slavery, Abortion…telling society what to believe in or think is right or wrong, people would not know about them or their importance. Master narratives do not always have respectable connotations. For instance, the consumption of marijuana used to have a lingering master narrative that “linked the use of marijuana with violence, crime and other socially deviant behaviors, primarily committed by ‘racially inferior’ or underclass communities” according to the “Marijuana Timeline” on PBS.org. Today marijuana is legal for medical use in nine different states across America, with two of these states