Anansi The Trickster Essay

Anansi the Trickster

“Trickster is at one and the same time creator and destroyer, giver and negator, he who dupes others and who is always duped himself… and is at the mercy of his passions and appetites” (Moffett). The trickster archetype can be found in many cultures from all around the world; such as, in the Native American culture a common trickster is the fox and in the Chinese culture a common trickster is the character known as the Monkey King. The purpose of these tricksters, and tricksters all around the world, is to act as a scapegoat to express the ideals/fears of a culture. In addition, they are characters that add humor to a story to express the main idea. In the book Anansi and the Magic Stick by Eric Kimmel, the author portrays

For example, “Coyote's salmon weir takes advantage of forces the salmon themselves provide. Salmon in a river are swimming upstream to spawn; sexual appetite or instinct gives them a particular trajectory and Coyote works with it. Even with a baited hook, the victim's hunger is the moving part”(Hyde). This illustrates the way the coyote used the natural instinct of the salmon to his advantage by setting the trap in a place where the salmon were supposed to be at. The trickster is a very opportunistic character who uses his wits and the circumstances around him to get what he wants. In the story, Anansi says, “‘If I had that magic stick, my house would be as beautiful as Hyena’s. No one would laugh at me again!’ Anansi grabbed the magic stick and ran off as fast as his little legs could go”(Kimmel 3). When Anansi saw that Hyena left the magic stick unattended, he seized the opportunity to get what he wanted, so he stole the magic stick without hesitation, showing the audience his true character. Since the trickster is a very selfish person he or she will do anything in their power to gain something that is desired or