Internal and External Landscapes

In Lopez's essay, he describes the relationship between internal and external landscapes. External landscapes are the natural, tangible world around us. Internal landscapes are in turn the way that we perceive these external landscapes on an individual level. In the context of the essay, Lopez argues that two people can hear the exact same rendition of an external landscape, but the way that they internalize this information is entirely based upon their own experiences with external landscapes they have encountered in the past. Thus, it is the job of the storyteller to create an external landscape that is detailed enough to get the story across, while allowing the listener to partake in the telling of the story by internalizing this information to make sense in an individual setting.

An example of my own personal connection to the idea of an internal/external landscape comes from a friend of mine who I would consider a fantastic storyteller. He has a way of describing an event by picking out the minute details that I would never have thought to include in an oral retelling of this event. These details are purposefully targeted towards his particular audience, as if to intrigue the listener and put them in this external landscape being described. He has a way of doing the work of internalizing the story for his listener, so depending on who the story is being conveyed to, the focus will shift to emphasize the portion of the tale that will capture the interest of the particular individual.