Anansi

Example: The Trickster Throughout this whole course, I have constantly seen the trickster character archetype. Tricksters tend to be crafty, mischievous, and usually funny. Sometimes, they can change their roles in a specific story. The most important thing about tricksters is that they are not nefarious by nature, but they just enjoy humor even if it is at the expense of others. They also are used to teach life lessons and morals. The best thing about a trickster is that it can be anyone from…

Anansi and the Moss covered rock, Eric A. Kimmel: The story is about a spider, named Anansi who deceives her neighboring animals to take the food they have gathered. Anansi comes across a magic rock, that when you say certain phrase you fall unconscious. Anais uses this to trick on six of the animals who come across the rock. Until Little Bush Deer, uses Anansi’s trick against him. Although the animals take their food back, and Anansi is left with no-hit he does not…

greatest gifts because they save lives with just a story. Quarrels between tribes or simply two people, have been solved with the griots wise words. Envision a day where the griot wasn’t there to shed their humorous wisdom. Visualize a time where Anansi, or the Lion and the Mouse, or Br’er Rabbit was no longer being told, think of how much would be lost. All the important lessons in life would have to be learned the hard way. Thankfully, we won't have to imagine anything of the sort in the…

“Where the stories grow on trees” in West Africa is where Ananse, the trickster spider, originates (The Greedy Ananse). Being a trickster does not mean evil, but means chaos. Ananse goes by many different names: Anansi, Anaanu, Anancy, Nanzi and others (Ananse). Each culture has their own version of Ananse, whether it be a spider, coyote, or a bird. According to the textbook Myth and Knowing, trickster myths are the spark of action in any story (pg. 247). Animal tricksters in Africa are…

These stories have been collected by white immigrant people from native tellers (similar to the Joe Hayes or Joel Chandler Harris situation) or collected by native Africans who have been educated in English by white immigrant audiences. Where do you see the English-speaking, European influences? What instructions would you give to these collectors in order to get accurate stories? This question is similar to the one asked about Joe Hayes, the Anglo who collects Mexican fairy tales. The most…

Mina Kubie Professor Tracy Sieglaff LIT 255 7 May 2016 Module 1 1. Cannon, Janell. Stellaluna. San Diego: Harcourt, Inc., 1993. Print. Stellaluna does a wonderful job of educating children on bats and birds and the differences between them. Although the story itself is fiction, the book is based on facts about bats and at the end of the book there are a list of facts about bats. During a lesson discussing bats, the teacher can read Stellaluna and have the students gain a substantial amount of…

They may seem to, on the surface, but somewhere on the inside, underneath it all, they sense it, and they resent it.”-Neil Gaiman, Anansi Boys. Greek may not have control over fate, but they do have free thought. This presents an interesting dilemma, asking if one can exist without the other. Greek myths prove it can. Some heroes are dragged along into their destiny. Hercules was not…

Whether it is Adam and Eve's original sin, Anansi the spider stealing the creator God's knowledge, or Odysseus listening to the sirens call; disobedience is it an eight part of human culture, breaking racial cultural and language barriers. According to Oscar Wilde " disobedience is that the only progress that has been made"(Wilde). I believe the disobedience results and dismantling hegemony, upward progress, and a more aware society depicted in literature, history, and current events. "1984"…

The Truth About Stories Name: Institution: Date: The Truth About Stories In his book, The Truth About Stories, Thomas King portrays stories as the most important thing in society. He believes that stories occupy a central part of human beings' lives because they control people and help them reflect on what kind of society they live in. For instance, he argues that stories inform people who they are, how they treat each other as family, friends or citizens. He writes,…

Conversely, “Blue Crabs” by Alake Pilgrim was not easily understood, and stories such as “Anansi” by Fred D’Aguiar, “Gros Islet” by Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw, “Flavius and Wasa” by Earl Lovelace, and “The Country of Green Mansions” by Keith Jardim did not demonstrate clear Caribbean themes. Nonetheless, I believe all the stories, with the exception…