Tricksters in Modern Literature

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Article Series: Tricksters in Literature, Part 5 of 5

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     For the final installment in the Trickster article series, we’ll be discussing tricksters in modern literature and the ways, if any, in which these modern-day tricksters are similar to those in mythology and folklore, folktales and fables, and fairytales and fantasy.

      The artwork in this article focuses on tricksters currently in popular media, mostly films and television, since art of tricksters in modern-day literature is difficult to find. Many thanks to the artists for allowing me to feature their gorgeous artwork in these articles.

     So, how does the modern-day trickster compare to tricksters we discussed in past articles? Let’s find out.

     But first, say hello to one of the most well-known and beloved tricksters of our time:

What's Up, Doc?

bugs bunny by nightwing1975

"Bugs Bunny" by Gary Anderson (nightwing1975) nightwing1975

 

     First, let's review. The Trickster is one of psychologist Carl Jung’s most widely known archetypes. Archetypes are the unconscious ideas that all humanity inherits, and these ideas transcend time and are found in the mythologies of all cultures. Archetypes are important because these unconscious roles are universal and are useful in the analysis of mythology, literature, art, and religion. (1) The Trickster archetype in particular is a character that revolves around the concept of one individual, human or animal, tricking or deceiving another individual or group. (2)

     There are several characteristics that are common to most, but not all, tricksters. Tricksters are: ambiguous, amoral, almost always male, deceitful, shapeshifters, culture heroes, self-serving, solitary, less physically imposing, and boundary-crossers. (A more detailed list can be found here: fav.me/d5fpa2)

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Comic-al Tricksters, Harley and The Riddler

:bigthumb46732524:

"Harley Quinn and The Riddler" by Steven Sanchez StevenSanchez

 

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     Yahoo! contributor Wa Connor has an interesting way of explaining the role of the modern-day trickster versus the mythological trickster. He says that mythological tricksters represent chaos and unpredictability, and their role is to facilitate change because without change, mankind would cease to evolve. Therefore, tricksters are “neither good or evil, but purely chaotic” and keep the stories moving forward. So far this falls in line with what we have discussed over the last four articles.

     He goes on to say, in reference to the culture hero tricksters like the Native American Coyote, that the “sense of serving the best interest of society as a whole, and denying the wants of the individual which was a staple in the ancient mythological tricksters has largely ceased to appear in the character traits of the modern mythological tricksters.” As a result of the technologically advanced, homogenized, and globalized modern age in which we now live, “modern day tricksters have come to represent the yearnings of those who wish to regain their individualism, liberty and freedom.” He cites such examples as Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Ferris Bueller, and Tyler Durden from Fight Club. These tricksters deal with such burdens as financial needs and political powers and bask in the “adventurous, self-realized individualistic lifestyle” that serves the modern trickster on an individual level rather than a societal level. (3)

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Tyler Durden, Anarchist

What is Fight Club? by 2-0-1-9

"What is Fight Club?" by Dominic Walter (2-0-1-9) 2-0-1-9



     Since Captain Jack Sparrow and Ferris Bueller are both characters in films rather than literature, we’ll stick to the final character listed. Tyler Durden is a character from a novel by Chuck Palahniuk and a film by David Fincher, both titled Fight Club. He appears to be the antagonist and remains in a constant struggle with Jack, the protagonist. As it turns out, however, Tyler isn’t real; he is a figment of Jack’s imagination, a hallucination of the man that Jack wished he could be. Jack lives a dull, uninteresting life, working a 9-5 job every day in a suit and tie and not happy with himself or his life. Tyler seeks to change that by introducing Jack to Fight Club and Project Mayhem, which, as Connor says, “acts very much like a dystopic, male, blue-collar cult…the motive of every action in Project Mayhem is to remove oneself from the fold of society, and to further extricate themselves from any and every system.” Jack is “a symbol of the conventional and the commercialized” and in challenging and fighting him, Tyler epitomizes the modern trickster by tearing down this representation of globalized, homogenized convention and replacing it with liberty, freedom, and individualism. (4)

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     With the knowledge of the Trickster archetype and the way that tricksters relate to one another throughout literary history, it should not be difficult to distinguish the tricksters in various genres of modern literature other than the ones we've discussed.

      In light of that, here's a fun little challenge: set aside some time to read through your favorite modern lit novels and short stories with these things in mind and see if you can pick out more trickster characters.

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Coyote Trickster...Modern Day

Wile E. Coyote Wallpaper by E-122-Psi

"Wile E. Coyote Wallpaper" by E-122-Psi E-122-Psi

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:bulletpurple: See the links below for further reading.

:bulletpurple: Here are some general trickster questions to review some of what we've discussed and also for a bit of fun:

1. Tricksters often show up flaws in the "big gods." Why? (If tricksters threaten order, authority, and hierarchy, then why do you think they appear in stories?) In what ways is the intelligence of the top gods like or unlike that of the tricksters? (Think of Metis.)

2. In what ways do tricksters mediate between gods and men? Why do you think tricksters take the side of humans? (Do they always? In Norse Myths 3 and 10, Loki helps the gods build the wall and gain valuable treasures. Think also of Hermes and Hephaistos.)

3. What do you think these trickster stories say about the uses and character of cunning intelligence? (Can intelligence be both evil and good? When and why?)

4. Tricksters can be both creators and destroyers. When and why?

5. When do tricksters cause trouble and why?

(taken from a Grand Valley State University World Mythology course document faculty.gvsu.edu/websterm/Tric… )



Please check out these links for further reading:
:bulletblack: Artwork is used with written permission from and copyrighted to the respective artists.
:bulletblack: Artwork denoted by * was found in Wikimedia Commons and is free to use with attribution under a Creative Commons license.


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CiaranDwynvil's avatar
Amazing job on all five articles, Jade :heart: I very much enjoyed reading through all of them.

Thanks for mentioning the fabulous captain Jack Sparrow. I didn't like the later parts of the movie series all that much but in the first part, he was a paragon of an alluring trickster. Such a charmer *daydreams*

I even had a car named after him, that much of impression he made on me. By the way, Jack was a great car with a big heart and I still miss him. Fortunately, he never tricked me and despite not being an offroad car, he visited with me and my husband many a place an ordinary car would refuse to set wheels on. It seems he too held the principles of individuality, liberty and freedom dear. lol