What makes a story a masterpiece is its ability to resonate with our humanity in a novel, yet timeless manner.
Recently, I made the realization in the quote above. I can hardly describe it any better than that, but I can elaborate on what I mean.
Stories are the fabric of our identities, and our identities shape our behavior and thus the course of our lives. Stories can entertain us, help us make realizations, and creatively reflect the conditions of our lives.
When I refer to masterpieces, I refer to stories that touch our hearts, stories that spark emotions. When storytelling puts us in an emotional state, it means we are trying to make meaning of the story. Meaning-making happens when a story resonates with our humanity.
A masterpiece can spark meaning-making by changing our perspectives or by helping us make realizations, thus shaping our beliefs. That is the novelty of a masterpiece. What’s more, masterpieces, much like mythology and ancient, archetypical stories, do exactly that but also stand the test of time.
If you ask me, that what masterful storytelling does.