This dissertation examines literary representations of the trickster in contemporary literature across different cultures. The introduction traces the recent development in the studies on the trickster since Radin's influential publication, The Trickster. There are two major trends in recent scholarship. First, many theorists believe that the trickster is a cross-cultural phenomenon. Second, recent scholars have started to track modern expressions of the trickster in contemporary societies. Building upon these two observations, this dissertation further explores various forms of the modern trickster, new trickster strategies and their functions in contemporary texts. This dissertation discusses the relationship between tradition and transformation expressed through modern trickster narratives. It is argued that modern trickster stories manifest the transformation of a culture through the transformative characteristics of the trickster, as well as through a text's formal transformation. Transformation signifies the possibility of change, therefore opening mainstream representations and ideologies for re-interpretation. Chapter Two offers a reading of Louise Erdrich?s Love Medicine and demonstrates how the novel transforms a Chippewa Nanabozho myth cycle into a modern Chippewa trickster story cycle. Erdrich?s Nanabozho appears as multiple modern Native Indians. This deconstructs the stereotypical image of the "vanished tribe" by showing that the Chippewa people, culture and traditions are not dead; they have transformed to survive. The formal transformation of the text also enables Chippewa oral traditions to be passed down, preserved and to survive through this contemporary fiction. Chapter Three examines and discusses how a subaltern community uses trickster strategies to resist marginalization by focusing on Maxine Hong Kingston?s China Men. Specific to China Men's use of the trickster's transformation is its manifestation of changes and struggles experienced by Chinese American immigrants. Appropriating the genre of talk-story, Kingston transforms Chinese myths into American tales, her family stories into history writing. Stories told by China Men's characters, as well as histories retold in the transformative text, are the rhetorical acts of the trickster used to challenge dominant representations and the silencing of Chinese Americans. Chapter Four analyzes Peter Carey?s Illywhacker to further test the boundary of the trickster?s realm. In this chapter, Illywhacker is conceptualized as a trickster's Australian country show in the form of a simulated exhibition showcasing emblematic Australian mythologies. The text builds upon the bush literary traditions to oppose the Australian national culture and identity constructed and mediated through the bush metaphor. The performativity of all three texts implies a repetitiveness that takes new form every time, opening the metanarratives of Australian national history and identity for revision, subversions and re-imagination. / published_or_final_version / English / Master / Master of Philosophy

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 258-265).

Diss.--Philosophische Fakultät--Freiburg--Albert-Ludwig Universität. / Bibliogr. p. 209-230. Notes bibliogr. Index.

This thesis considers Thomas Middleton’s female trickster figures using A Mad World, My Masters, and No Wit No Help Like a Woman’s as example plays. I argue that by having his female characters successfully live by their wits, using their wit to manipulate custom in their intrigues, Middleton allots his women, who are not formally educated, a sophisticated understanding of social and gender politics. This level of understanding requires the women to possess a substantial amount of inherent intelligence and reason, offering a view of women’s capacity for intelligence that diverges considerably from traditional early modern English views.

This thesis considers Thomas Middleton’s female trickster figures using A Mad World, My Masters, and No Wit No Help Like a Woman’s as example plays. I argue that by having his female characters successfully live by their wits, using their wit to manipulate custom in their intrigues, Middleton allots his women, who are not formally educated, a sophisticated understanding of social and gender politics. This level of understanding requires the women to possess a substantial amount of inherent intelligence and reason, offering a view of women’s capacity for intelligence that diverges considerably from traditional early modern English views.

This thesis considers Thomas Middleton’s female trickster figures using A Mad World, My Masters, and No Wit No Help Like a Woman’s as example plays. I argue that by having his female characters successfully live by their wits, using their wit to manipulate custom in their intrigues, Middleton allots his women, who are not formally educated, a sophisticated understanding of social and gender politics. This level of understanding requires the women to possess a substantial amount of inherent intelligence and reason, offering a view of women’s capacity for intelligence that diverges considerably from traditional early modern English views.

This thesis considers Thomas Middleton’s female trickster figures using A Mad World, My Masters, and No Wit No Help Like a Woman’s as example plays. I argue that by having his female characters successfully live by their wits, using their wit to manipulate custom in their intrigues, Middleton allots his women, who are not formally educated, a sophisticated understanding of social and gender politics. This level of understanding requires the women to possess a substantial amount of inherent intelligence and reason, offering a view of women’s capacity for intelligence that diverges considerably from traditional early modern English views.

Thesis (M.A. (Folklore Studies)) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / The purpose of this study is to investigate whether human conduct and behaviour can be “seen” through the actions of trickster tales. This study focuses on how Bapedi people’s actions can be manifested in the actions of these tales. A variety of trickster tales will be used in trying to investigate the above claim. There will be some folktales that will be sampled from a variety of existing Literature. The sampled folktales will be brought together for analysis at the end of this study. The other folktales will be gathered from respondents. A number of respondents will be sampled through the snowballing technique. Each respondent will be interviewed through the face to face interview to gather more information in as far as folktales are concerned especially trickster tales. Gender sensitivity will be taken into cognizance when sampling the respondents in order to make the study more representative. Interviewees will be sampled from youth to senior citizens. Information gathered will thereafter be brought together with those collected from existing literature for creation of manuscripts. There manuscripts will thereafter be analysed through contend analysis technique.

Diss.--philosophische Fakultät--Freiburg--Albert-Ludwig Universität. / Bibliogr. p. 209-230. Index.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Comparative Religion, 2003. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains 72 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-72).