The Social Function of Narrative in Appalachian Society

All mountaineers tell stories, and mountain women tell them best. More importantly, women tell stories for a purpose. Their stories reaffirm shared cultural values, establish community, give children a sense of place and history, serve as memorials, and teach life’s hard lessons—all in the guise of entertainment. Drawing upon the more than 3000 stories she has collected from mountain women, folklorist Charlotte Ross discusses the social function of narrative within the context of Appalachian society. Audiences should select one of the following as the focus for the program: recalling the dearly departed, women’s narratives as commemoration, women’s humor/men’s humor, the role of narrative in an Appalachian childhood, or the legends of Appalachia.