The Importance of Story in Passing Along Culture

All throughout the novel, stories are shown to be a critical part of passing along and preserving culture among people and between generations. This is first shown through King Ashurbanipal. Despite having riches and a monopoly on power, he knew that he needed to have a library that represented the culture of his people in order to have true power. This is because he understood the importance of culture to a people. He did amass a large library, and while it was buried for many centuries, it was eventually uncovered, and stories the of his people, such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, are passed along and discussed by people in other parts of the world. Because he was a steward of stories, he is remembered throughout the ages.

Arthur understands the importance of these stories as well. He is...