Analyzing Chesnutt's fiction from the angle of the West African trickster tradition explains the varying interpretations of his texts and his authorial intentions. The discussion also illustrates the influence that audience and editorial concerns may have had on African-American authors at the turn of the century.

This paper aims to draft a typology of antiheroes in contemporary fantasy literature. Antiheroes are reflected upon concerning their origins, development, and recognition by the implied reader. Mythical trickster is also considered an antihero. The first half presents a theoretical base for the subsequent analysis.

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This thesis attempts to examine how fictionality in life writing and light writing forges a liberating space to read the self-making in Gerald Vizenor¡¦s Interior Landscape: Autobiographical Myths and Metaphors. The feasibility of setting a dialogue between life writing and light writing derives from Timothy Adam¡¦s discussion in Light Writing and Life Writing: Photography in Autobiography. Adams demonstrates how autobiography and photography, inherently thought as referential, actually possess the indeterminate characteristic of language; hence their juxtaposition displays an intriguing effect of dissolving the artificial distinction of the two media and their interplay presents the writer¡¦s fictive impulse of making himself. Chapter One provides a survey on how life writing and light writing can be productive media to present a self-making process. The residence in language of the two media deprives the presumed referential masks they wear and the constructed ideology disguised as truth behind, primarily the illusion of the unity of the self and the identification through lineage found in photographic representation. Chapter Two explores how the verbal narrative and visual images complete each other in Vizenor¡¦s Interior Landscapes. Photography in an autobiography forms an interesting dialectics between image and text: photography serves not only as a mnemonic device but as the material base for imagination and creation to thrive in words, and the autobiographical text rewrites what has been put in the photocopy of a historical document. Chapter Three discusses the trickster discourse that Vizenor incorporates in his life writing and light writing and analyzes how the writer associates his autobiographical self with trickster figures from the tribal myth and hence creates a trickster mixedblood identity. The dialogue between Vizenor¡¦s life writing and light writing reveals the possibility that both autobiography and photography could be not only the site of memory but also that of imagination and creation in self-life-making.

Research problem - This research revolves around the problem: Which characteristic/repetitive pattern formations can be identified in the structure and general content of selected Afrikaans Jakkals en Wolf (Jackal and Wolf) trickster stories. Research aims - Originating from the problem, the primary aim of this research is to identify the structural and content related patterning in the telling of Afrikaans Jackal and Wolf stories in general as well of those particular to the trickster tale/story. The secondary aim of the research is to identify the localisation relating to general content and structure within stories. Research methodology - The structural elements, structural patterns, variation patterns and content were investigated. In order to theorise these patterns, it was necessary to analyse the stories syntagmatically and paradigmatically. For the former, particularly Bremond‟s (1977) action logic was utilised to analyse the action in the stories. The actantial model of Greimas (1966) was used for the paradigmatic analysis of stories and methods of story telling. Existing structural models of the folk tale, oral story, trickster tales and Jakkals en Wolf were also used in the analysis. Examples from the corpus of stories were used to illustrate and substantiate findings. The corpus consists in short out of sound recordings recorded by a project team lead by Du Plessis (1987:8-14), recordings which was done by the researcher in the Murraysburg district in June 2010; Jakkals-en-Wolfstories, told by Dana Niehaus (Niehaus, 2011) as well as stories out of the volumes Die Kaskenades van Jakkals en Wolf (Rousseau, 2011), Die mooiste Afrikaanse sprokies (Grobbelaar en Verster, 2007) and Jakkals en Wolf (Grobbelaar en Verster, 2011). Findings - It was found that unique patterning formations could be identified by the analysis of the corpus Afrikaans oral Jakkals en Wolf trickster tales represent in this study, and that both Bremond‟s action logic and Greimas‟s actantial model add value to describing structure in stories. A consequence of this is that greater appreciation is created in the analyses of stories. / MA (Afrikaans and Dutch), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Research problem - This research revolves around the problem: Which characteristic/repetitive pattern formations can be identified in the structure and general content of selected Afrikaans Jakkals en Wolf (Jackal and Wolf) trickster stories. Research aims - Originating from the problem, the primary aim of this research is to identify the structural and content related patterning in the telling of Afrikaans Jackal and Wolf stories in general as well of those particular to the trickster tale/story. The secondary aim of the research is to identify the localisation relating to general content and structure within stories. Research methodology - The structural elements, structural patterns, variation patterns and content were investigated. In order to theorise these patterns, it was necessary to analyse the stories syntagmatically and paradigmatically. For the former, particularly Bremond‟s (1977) action logic was utilised to analyse the action in the stories. The actantial model of Greimas (1966) was used for the paradigmatic analysis of stories and methods of story telling. Existing structural models of the folk tale, oral story, trickster tales and Jakkals en Wolf were also used in the analysis. Examples from the corpus of stories were used to illustrate and substantiate findings. The corpus consists in short out of sound recordings recorded by a project team lead by Du Plessis (1987:8-14), recordings which was done by the researcher in the Murraysburg district in June 2010; Jakkals-en-Wolfstories, told by Dana Niehaus (Niehaus, 2011) as well as stories out of the volumes Die Kaskenades van Jakkals en Wolf (Rousseau, 2011), Die mooiste Afrikaanse sprokies (Grobbelaar en Verster, 2007) and Jakkals en Wolf (Grobbelaar en Verster, 2011). Findings - It was found that unique patterning formations could be identified by the analysis of the corpus Afrikaans oral Jakkals en Wolf trickster tales represent in this study, and that both Bremond‟s action logic and Greimas‟s actantial model add value to describing structure in stories. A consequence of this is that greater appreciation is created in the analyses of stories. / MA (Afrikaans and Dutch), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The aim of the present thesis is to introduce different types of cunning intelligence in Greek mythology and their role in the broader context of Greek thought. The subject matter is explored using representative mythic figures and situations. The pivotal problem is the relationship between cunning tricks and both cultural and divine order. The first part is concerned with greek expressions connected to cunning tricks and their possible meanings. The subsequent section deals with the forms of cunning as they can be seen in the charecters of Hermes and Odysseus and considers the way in which cunning tricks can be beneficial to order. A comparison with other cunning characters and myths of origins of rituals follow in the final chapter. It concludes with determining in which context a cunning trick is acceptable. In conclusion it is argued that cunning intelligence bears a culturally constitutive function and may even be beneficial in existing order. However, its positive role is manifested maily in the primordial state of the universe when cultural order is not clearly delimited. Cunning intelligence always remains ambivalent and a paradox. Its ambiguity is most apparent in clearly defined and structured cultural order.

Tricksters are popular cultural and literary characters which appear across regions and genres in various forms. The characters Uncle Julius from The Conjure Woman collection of short stories by Charles W. Chesnutt, and the confidence man from Herman Melville's The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade are both tricksters who are based on strong cultural backgrounds: the African(- American) religious trickster, and real life con artist William Thompson, respectively. This thesis sets out to compare the tricksters in thematic and structural elements. The origins of the literary characters help shape the readers' expectations and perception of the tricksters. Melville and Chesnutt encourage the stereotypical reading of the characters while also including an alternative one in the text. The conflict of perceptions serves to introduce a number of social topics regarding slavery in The Conjure Woman and self-reliance in The Confidence-Man, both of which ultimately point to the problematic distribution of freedom in American society. The tricksters appear both as literary characters and literary devices, corresponding with the ambiguous nature of the trickster archetype.

Este trabalho se propôs a analisar O Diabo Mesquinho (1892-1902), romance-chave de Fiódor Sologub (1863-1927), um dos expoentes do simbolismo russo. Além da importância incontestável da obra para a literatura russa e mundial, foi estímulo para a pesquisa a possibilidade de delinear o primeiro estudo acadêmico sobre o autor no Brasil. A análise seguiu duas direções, que continuamente se encontraram: a evidente tessitura paródica, e a presença de arquétipos míticos universais perpassados por elementos do folclore russo. Quanto ao uso da paródia, tendo como base teórica autores como Iuri Tyniánov e Mikhail Bakhtin, foram feitas aproximações de O Diabo Mesquinho com textos de Aleksándr Púchkin, Nikolai Gógol e Fiódor Dostoiévski, cujas marcas deflagradas são essenciais para o entendimento da estrutura da obra, assim como o narrador que, subvertendo a estética realista, organiza esses discursos. Com relação à incorporação de arquétipos literários, a qual ressalta a dimensão paródica e a contextura neomitológica, tal como conceituada por Zara Mints, foi desenvolvida uma análise do desdobramento do anti-herói Ardalión Peredonov, um trickster diabólico, no herói cultural mítico. Esse aprofundamento, embasado sobretudo em Eliazar Meletínski, desvelou a articulação que a narrativa faz entre as dualidades míticas mais estáveis (caos versus cosmos, próprio versus alheio), as construções de herói e de anti-herói, e os traços folclóricos e do demonismo popular. A convivência desses componentes conduz o enredo ao caos mítico junto da loucura progressiva de Peredonov. A breve contextualização do simbolismo russo, movimento que, apoiado na própria cultura e história, inaugurou novos rumos na arte e na filosofia russas, foi também fundamental para trabalhar com O Diabo Mesquinho, pois o romance consagra seus grandes mestres, sublinha seu contexto gerador e rompe paradigmas. / The research aims at analysing The Petty Demon (1892-1902), a key novel by Fiódor Sologub (1863-1927) who is one of the best known writers of the Russian symbolism. The importance of this novel is well established for Russian and world literature, and this research thesis was the first academic study on the author in Brazil. The analysis followed two main directions, which appear in intersection: first, the evident parodist structure of the text and second, the presence of universal mythic archetypes juxtaposed by elements of the Russian folklore, which inhabit the narration. Regarding the use of parody, drawing on Iuri Tyniánov and Mikhail Bakhtin, the analysis establish dialogues between The Petty Demon and texts by Aleksándr Púchkin, Nikolai Gógol and Fiódor Dostoiévski. These parodist dialogues are seen here as essential for the understanding of the structure of the text, as well as the narrator who organises these discourses subverting the realistic aesthetics. In relation to the incorporation of literary archetypes in the novel, highlighting the parodist dimension and the neomythologic structure, as conceptualised by Zara Mints, an analysis was developed on the history of the anti-hero Ardalión Peredonov, a diabolic trickster, as a cultural mythic hero. This in-depth analysis drawing on Eliazar Meletínski, unravelled the articulation between well established mythic dualities (chaos versus cosmos); the construction of the hero and anti-hero; and the folkloric characteristics and popular demonism. The relation between these components guides the story to the mythic chaos alongside the gradual madness of Peredonov. The brief contextualisation put forward in this research thesis of the Russian symbolism - a movement that based on its own culture and history launched new paths for Russian arts and philosophy - was fundamental to the analysis of The Petty Demon, as the novel established great masters in literature, highlighted its symbolist context and broke paradigms.

Este trabalho se propôs a analisar O Diabo Mesquinho (1892-1902), romance-chave de Fiódor Sologub (1863-1927), um dos expoentes do simbolismo russo. Além da importância incontestável da obra para a literatura russa e mundial, foi estímulo para a pesquisa a possibilidade de delinear o primeiro estudo acadêmico sobre o autor no Brasil. A análise seguiu duas direções, que continuamente se encontraram: a evidente tessitura paródica, e a presença de arquétipos míticos universais perpassados por elementos do folclore russo. Quanto ao uso da paródia, tendo como base teórica autores como Iuri Tyniánov e Mikhail Bakhtin, foram feitas aproximações de O Diabo Mesquinho com textos de Aleksándr Púchkin, Nikolai Gógol e Fiódor Dostoiévski, cujas marcas deflagradas são essenciais para o entendimento da estrutura da obra, assim como o narrador que, subvertendo a estética realista, organiza esses discursos. Com relação à incorporação de arquétipos literários, a qual ressalta a dimensão paródica e a contextura neomitológica, tal como conceituada por Zara Mints, foi desenvolvida uma análise do desdobramento do anti-herói Ardalión Peredonov, um trickster diabólico, no herói cultural mítico. Esse aprofundamento, embasado sobretudo em Eliazar Meletínski, desvelou a articulação que a narrativa faz entre as dualidades míticas mais estáveis (caos versus cosmos, próprio versus alheio), as construções de herói e de anti-herói, e os traços folclóricos e do demonismo popular. A convivência desses componentes conduz o enredo ao caos mítico junto da loucura progressiva de Peredonov. A breve contextualização do simbolismo russo, movimento que, apoiado na própria cultura e história, inaugurou novos rumos na arte e na filosofia russas, foi também fundamental para trabalhar com O Diabo Mesquinho, pois o romance consagra seus grandes mestres, sublinha seu contexto gerador e rompe paradigmas. / The research aims at analysing The Petty Demon (1892-1902), a key novel by Fiódor Sologub (1863-1927) who is one of the best known writers of the Russian symbolism. The importance of this novel is well established for Russian and world literature, and this research thesis was the first academic study on the author in Brazil. The analysis followed two main directions, which appear in intersection: first, the evident parodist structure of the text and second, the presence of universal mythic archetypes juxtaposed by elements of the Russian folklore, which inhabit the narration. Regarding the use of parody, drawing on Iuri Tyniánov and Mikhail Bakhtin, the analysis establish dialogues between The Petty Demon and texts by Aleksándr Púchkin, Nikolai Gógol and Fiódor Dostoiévski. These parodist dialogues are seen here as essential for the understanding of the structure of the text, as well as the narrator who organises these discourses subverting the realistic aesthetics. In relation to the incorporation of literary archetypes in the novel, highlighting the parodist dimension and the neomythologic structure, as conceptualised by Zara Mints, an analysis was developed on the history of the anti-hero Ardalión Peredonov, a diabolic trickster, as a cultural mythic hero. This in-depth analysis drawing on Eliazar Meletínski, unravelled the articulation between well established mythic dualities (chaos versus cosmos); the construction of the hero and anti-hero; and the folkloric characteristics and popular demonism. The relation between these components guides the story to the mythic chaos alongside the gradual madness of Peredonov. The brief contextualisation put forward in this research thesis of the Russian symbolism - a movement that based on its own culture and history launched new paths for Russian arts and philosophy - was fundamental to the analysis of The Petty Demon, as the novel established great masters in literature, highlighted its symbolist context and broke paradigms.