The Importance of Heritage

Hurston admits to being relieved when she's told to go collect folklore from the culture of the blacks in the Deep South. She doesn't say who told her to go or how the project came about, but it seems obvious that this was important to her because it provides intensive ties to the roots of her heritage. This culture will likely seem familiar to anyone growing up in the South during this time, but the importance of gathering this information could be lost on anyone who doesn't share Hurston's heritage. The stories are sometimes silly, often unbelievable, and almost completely falsehoods. With few exceptions, the stories could not be true. However, this is exactly what makes them important to the culture. These stories represent a basis of the culture. For example, there are the stories explaining how the animals came to be enemies and others...