Saragib’s Weblog

Interactive Narrative

I looked at the interactive narrative “Twenty Voices.” It was listed on Radha’s website and I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I clicked on it.  It is a very powerful and extremely comprehensive, semi-interactive story of the Armenian genocide. It really caught my attention and drew me in; partly because of its unique design and partly because I have been lucky enough to travel to Turkey and Armenia and have friends in both countries.

Even though, these events took place nearly 90 years ago this is still an incredibly sensitive topic in both countries today.  My friends on both sides of the border (young, well educated, liberal minded-people) have polar opposite views of what happened and cannot even begin to think about considering the other side’s point of view.

The website/story was really well done and very sophisticated. It was clearly written from an Armenian perspective, since even using the word genocide to refer to these events is taboo, and in some cases illegal, in Turkey.
It gives historical background on the events and videos of survivors’ experiences at Ellis Island. However, what I thought was the most compelling feature was the interactive narrative portion. In this portion, the designers display a map of the Ottoman Empire, as it existed at the time, and the viewer can click on a province to hear, see and read the story (both in words, audio and photos) of a survivor from that area. I am not sure if this fits the strict definition of interactive narrative since the interaction is limited to clicking on the area/story you would like to hear.  However, given my familiarity with the topic and areas, I found it really interesting and engaging.

Even the simple act of choosing which stories to click on, makes this feel more engaging than simply reading or listening to a straightforward narrative.
Because this website is a form of oral history, I can’t see the designers making it more interactive.  Much of the point of this kind of history is having an individual pass down their personal story to shape the consciousness of the next generation.  However, for fiction, I could see how increased interactivity could make the story more dynamic. I think I will look online for some fiction interactive narrative examples and compare and contrast the effect.

I don’t think I’ll share this site with my friends.  As an outsider to the cultures involved, I  appreciate learning more but don’t feel like it is my place to initiate discussions on  sensitive topics.