Interrogating the “Deep Story”: Storytelling and Narratives in the Rhetoric Classroom - Article

Oct 15, 2026

This article argues that inviting students to interrogate and share their worldviews through personal narratives can enable mutual inquiry across difference. Grounded in invitational rhetoric, it outlines assignments and activities and analyzes students’ writing and reflections to show how mutual listening and inquiry cultivate self-reflexivity and ethical relations with others. The discussion connects “deep story” theory to political discourse, emphasizing interrogating narratives that shape perception rather than relying on persuasion that undermines others’ worldviews.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Composition Forum 40, Fall 2018

Interrogating the “Deep Story”: Storytelling and Narratives in the Rhetoric Classroom

Deep story theory and political discourse

Invitational rhetoric and classroom practice

Current Issue From the Editors Weblog Editorial Board Editorial Policy Submissions Archives Accessibility Search Composition Forum 40, Fall 2018 Interrogating the “Deep Story”: Storytelling and Narratives in the Rhetoric Classroom Sharon Yam Abstract: This article posits that inviting students to interrogate and share their worldviews through personal narratives could promote mutual inquiry across difference. Detailing a series of assignments and activities developed from the model of invitational rhetoric, this article analyzes students’ writing and reflections to demonstrate how mutual listening and inquiry function as an effective means to cultivate self-reflexivity and ethical relations with others who do not share the same positionality. During Donald Trump’s rapid rise to political power before the Presidential Election, sociologist Arlie Hochschild set out to answer why working-class whites in the Deep South appeared to be voting against their own material interests: had they been duped, or were there more complex sociocultural and affective reasons behind their political choices? What Hochschild found during her ethnographic study in Louisiana were not uninformed and bigoted individuals who shared no common ethical or material concerns with more liberal voters. Rather, Hochschild found that like her and the people in her social circle, her research subjects were often equally concerned about the welfare of their community and family, and about maintaining equality in society. However, while the two groups might share similar values, the deep stories that inform how they see the world are completely different. As Hochschild defines it,“A deep story is a feels-as-if story—it’s the story feelings tell, in the language of symbols. It removes judgment. It removes fact”(135) . In their deep story, working-class whites have been struggling to achieve the American dream for generations, but they have been unfairly taken advantage of by people of color and immigrants, who they see as cutting in line to receive the good life (Hochschild) . The emotional power of the deep story trumps factual evidence, thus preventing this group from objectively evaluating their material interests during the election. Based on this finding, Hochschild suggests, if we were to cultivate coalition moments across difference, we ought to interrogate the deep stories communities and individuals subscribe to, rather than engaging in arguments and persuasion that undermine the fundamental worldview of others. Hochschild’s theory of the deep story is particularly relevant in a public sphere rife with ad hominem attacks and dehumanization on both ends of the political spectrum. It is important to interrogate the different deep stories we and others hold because, as Hochschild points out, a knowledge of these stories “permits those on both sides of the political spectrum to stand back and explore the subjective prism through which the party on the other side sees the world”(135) . By mutually inquiring as to how their views are influenced by the deep stories they hold, individuals from different positionality are less likely to ridicule, dehumanize, and dismiss people whose worldviews are incongruent with theirs. Rather, they will be more inclined to reflect on the sociopolitical and affective causes of political beliefs, including their own. In this article, I make use of Hochschild’s deep story theory to argue that writing and rhetoric teachers should create opportunities for students to engage with different deep stories and reconsider their relationships with those whose views and lived experiences differ from theirs. Writing in the early-2010s before Trump’s presidency, John Duffy has already alerted writing teachers to the prevalence of toxic rhetoric in public discourse that dehumanizes those with diverging worldviews and political opinions. Duffy argues that by teaching students how to ethically construct arguments and substanti

FAQs

What does the article claim personal narratives can achieve in the classroom?

It argues that personal narratives and storytelling can support mutual inquiry across difference by helping students engage ethical relations and self-reflexivity.

How is “deep story” used to explain political belief formation?

The article explains that deep stories are felt-as-if narratives shaped by symbols and emotions, which can outweigh factual evidence when people interpret elections and their material interests.

What approach does the article recommend for teaching and rhetoric instruction?

It recommends that writing and rhetoric teachers create opportunities for students to engage with different deep stories and reconsider relationships with others whose worldviews and lived experiences differ.

Oct 15, 2026

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