Published in Salt of the Earth Recovery Project Digital Archive

Background:

Human beings are natural storytellers. From historical documents, to traditional folk tales and reality TV, stories are the foundation of human culture. People construct and share stories about themselves, too, detailing particular episodes and periods in their lives and what those experiences mean to them.

Out of the individual experiences that make up an autobiographical memory, a person may construct and adopt an evolving and integrative story about their life—past, present, and future. Psychologists today call this concept a narrative identity.

Salt of the Earth is fascinating in many ways, and one in particular is its narrative identity. For example, Salt of the Earth, fictional film, tells the actual story of the Empire Zinc Mine Strike. Both the film and strike take place simultaneously, and decades later, the film and strike have become inseparable—the spirit of one contains the other and vice versa.

The narrative identity of Salt of the Earth reconstructs a cultural autobiographical past and imagines a future in such a way as to provide some degree of unity, purpose, and meaning. None of this would have been possible, however, without the actual people involved in the film and strike. For instance, the film’s creators used actual members of the strike as actors in the film, and years later, the lives, experiences, and stories of those involved in the strike/film continue to be recognized and celebrated.

Exercise:

Consider your own narrative identity—those experiences that have shaped who you are. Where would you begin your life story? What experiences do you feel have been most significant in your life? Why are these experiences significant? How have these experiences shaped who you are today?

If you aren’t sure how or where to begin, consider telling your life story using one of the following genres:

  • A personal letter addressed to someone close to you (perhaps even yourself)
  • A eulogy
  • A photo essay
  • A comic strip
  • A poem, song, or film

There are several possibilities in how you choose to tell your life story. You can mix-and-match genres. Perhaps you have another form you prefer or an approach you think could be interesting?

Sometimes life stories are meant to be private, but if you’re interested in sharing your life story, consider submitting here.