As black people who were enslaved gained literacy and began to write about their experiences, they incorporated figures from oral tradition into their written creations. Though trickster tales in African American culture are frequently a source of humor, they also contain serious commentary on the inequities of existence in a country where the promises of democracy were denied to a large portion of the citizenry, a pattern that becomes even clearer in the literary adaptations of trickster figures. While frequently humorous, trickster tales often convey serious social critiques. Brer Fox jumps into the other water bucket, descends into the well, and, in the process, enables Brer Rabbit to rise to freedom. For example, in one African American folktale, Brer Rabbit, the quintessential trickster figure in African American folklore, succeeds in getting Brer Fox to rescue him from a well by asserting that the moon reflected in the water at the bottom of the well is really a block of cheese. Mostly, they are pictured in contest or quest situations, and they must use their wits to get out of trouble or bring about a particular result. In executing their actions, they give no thought to right or wrong indeed, they are amoral. In other words, tricksters succeed by outsmarting or outthinking their opponents. Tricksters achieve their objectives through indirection and mask-wearing, through playing upon the gullibility of their opponents. By definition, tricksters are animals or characters who, while ostensibly disadvantaged and weak in a contest of wills, power, and/or resources, succeed in getting the best of their larger, more powerful adversaries. Tricksters dominate the folk tradition that peoples of African descent developed in the United States, especially those tales Trickster figures, present in every oral tradition, are weak, often amoral, characters who outsmart stronger opponents.that were influenced by African folk tradition, landscape, and wildlife.
Carlyle Sitterson Professor of English, EmeritaĪlmost every oral tradition in the world has trickster figures, and African American culture is no exception. The Trickster in African American Literature Jazz and the African American Literature Traditionįreedom’s Story is made possible by a grant from the Wachovia Foundation.The Image of Africa in the Literature of the Harlem Renaissance.The New Negro and the Black Image: From Booker T.
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