...there's only one story.Foster (Ch 12 and Interlude [p. 183]) -- Jerz: EL150 (Intro to Literary Study)
When I read this I was a little taken aback. Such a true and simple statement, but I had never thought about it in those terms before. Since literature encompasses various depictions of the struggles of humankind, it makes sense to say that these stories are essentially all the same. While there are different variations, they all ultimately make some statement concerning the human condition.