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Craig White's Literature Courses Trickster |
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The trickster is a recurrent figure or archetype in world mythologies, folklore, and literature.
The Trickster was a popular concept in late 20th-century literary criticism. The concept remains popular among students and less specialized audiences for emphasizing familiar transgressive figures who reappear with some similarity across multiple cultures
Danger of concept: Appeals to archetypes and trans-cultural unity may disrespect cultural differences. Apparent resemblances across cultures may rise from distinct motivations and serve distinct purposes.
Online definitions / descriptions:
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Examples from Mythology: Norse mythology: Loki, god of mischief African American folklore: Brer Rabbit Hindu mythology: Krishna . . . Baby Krishna stealing butter, young Krishna seducing the Gopis European folk tales may feature tricksters in the form of crows, ravens, foxes (usually clever animals) Native American folklore: Coyote + rabbit Greek mythology: Dionysus
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Other folk examples: Anansi of West African Ashanti people > "Aunt Nancy" Monkey or Monkey King of Chinese mythology Iktomi in Dakota Sioux legend (Zitkala-Sa, American Indian Stories) Muslim folktales: Nasreddin Vodun or Voodoo: Baron Samedi Nanabush or Nanabozho of Ojibwe American Indians (Gerry Nanapush is a character in Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine) (Nanapush)
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Literary examples: Puck in Shakespeare, Midsummer Night's Dream Reinhart in Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Odysseus in The Odyssey (trickster + culture hero) Huck in Huckleberry Finn, maybe the King and the Duke White Rabbit & Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland: Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Christopher Moore, Coyote Blue Herman Melville, The Confidence-Man (1857) + "Bartleby the Scrivener" Gatsby in The Great Gatsby Dr. Tamkin in Seize the Day Lord of the Rings: Gollum? Woody Allen Charlie Chaplin Beatnik characters in life and literature: Ginsberg, Kerouac, Neal Cassidy, Burroughs Classical Greek literature: in New Attic Comedy, the figure of the "Graeculus" or "little Greek," a crafty, charming rogue of a slave
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Pop-culture examples (mostly from students): Bart Simpson of The Simpsons Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck in Warner Brothers cartoons Steve Erkel of Family Matters The Joker and The Riddler in Batman, the Green Goblin in Spider-Man Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean (played by Johnny Depp) Dave Chapelle Chris Rock Jimmie J. J. Walker of Good Times Lucy in I Love Lucy Roseanne of Roseanne Gracie Allen of Burns and Allen Eric Cartman from South Park The Mask (Jim Carrey, who's always a trickster) Old TV shows: Dr. Smith in Lost in Space; Eddie Haskell in Leave it to Beaver disruptive sidekicks; cf. The Fonz in Happy Days Gilligan and Maynard G. Krebs Newman on Seinfeld Luanne on King of the HIll Madonna? chameleon quality, always upsetting Ray Romano's mother--instigates problem, racy mother-in-law Ashton Kutcher Johnny Depp Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Bette Midler |
Characteristics or style of Trickster:
Trickster disrupts normal hierarchies and rules of everyday or official behavior, either through cleverness or foolishness.
Tricksters often appear as pranksters or mischief-makers.
Sexual disruption—cuckolding or same-sex action
"flamboyant gay" as trickster in recent American culture—flouts rules but usually can't be caught (e.g., Nathan Lane character in The Birdcage)
May combine with "culture hero" concept—e. g. Prometheus stealing fire from gods and raising humanity from beast-status
Tricksters often play roles in Creation / Origin Stories (e.g. Serpent in the Garden of Eden?)
Sex as trickster impulse in human nature
Plus other body functions: adolescent boys making farting / belching noises in museums, church, etc.
Application to minority or multicultural literature:
outsider figures; excluded parties or styles
participation threatens or overturns hierarchies
Upsides of trickster concept:
trans-cultural concept, "archetype" that tends to show up in diverse human cultures; therefore a supposed unity in human cultures regardless of direct influence--compare language acquisition as molar growth
puts a creative value on disruption, even destruction—for the new to emerge, the old has to be exposed and degraded.
especially younger students may relish this idea; can also teach older learners and teachers the potential value of people who don't fit in and won't submit quietly
Potential downsides of trickster concept:
A topic, subject, or motif may become so universal as to become meaningless.
But . . .
The trickster has a way of rejuvenating itself—just about the time the concept has lost life or become boxed in, it escapes and overthrows the formulas . . . .
Personal example: students who drive me crazy
Initial reaction: stamp them out, drive them away, make them submit!
That initial reaction gains nothing > subsequent attitude or approach:
What potentially worthwhile value is the student trying to express, even in distorted or deformed ways?
What weaknesses or blindnesses in my own assumptions is s/he threatening? (After all, it's me who's going crazy--what's my problem?)
> creative value for disruption; especially younger students may relish this idea; can also teach older learners and teachers the potential value of people who don't fit in and won't submit quietly.
Danger of expanding application of trickster concept:
Can validate antisocial behavior to extent that this figure may overshadow or crowd out consideration of other worthy character types.
Bible?
Problem: Jews may be great comedians now, but limited sense of humor in Bible.
Samson? episode of burning Philistine crops by tying torches to foxes' tails? (Judges 15.4-5)
Joseph, son of Jacob in the Old Testament? (e. g., "coat of many colors" can sound like "motley" or clownware. Also, consider how Joseph keeps working his way out of uncomfortable situations as potentially humorous. Also, Joseph is not typically listed among the Judaic patriarchs, possibly indicating an in-between status.)
Is Satan a trickster in Genesis creation story?
women tricksters?
Superman < Lois Lane?
Heroines in Shakespeare's comedies, e. g. Viola in Twelfth Night, change identities through cross-dressing, often gently disrupting and exposing the assumptions of the governing society.
Note Coyote (trickster) totem on handlebar
thanks to http://www.elizahittman.com/index.php?/project/trickster/