Llosa explores the most core themes of civilization and humanity in "The Storyteller". The importance of our stories is something that we likely take for granted on a day to day basis. The heart of our culture beats in the stories that we pass on, whether they be myths, fairy tales, or historical accounts. One of the few things that distinguishes us from any other species on our planet is the ability to communicate complex ideas through language. Telling stories is the very essence of being human.
When the stories of an event, person, or thing cease to exist, they disappear also from our consciousness. My great great grandpa may have been a great guy, but as next to no stories about him have survived to my generation, there is no way of knowing. The same applies to a macro scale, as Saul Zuratas understood. When you assert a new culture's stories over the old, the culture ceases to exist the way it had. If the stories of a culture are forgotten, the culture dies and exists as a shadow in our past.
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