In what follows S.X. shares her thoughts on Matt Dembicki's Trickster: Native American Tales a Graphic Collection.
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“Human kind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.All things are bound together. All things connect.” Chief Seattle's words ring true as Native American culture embraces the interconnectedness in nature between animals and humans alike. This close relationship with nature is shown through their stories, especially the trickster tales, as many types of interactions between different species in the web of life occur. The bond within the cycle of life is so strong in trickster tales, that not only do different animals interact with each other, but there is actually a fusion between animals and humans present in the form of shapes shifters and half humans. The interwoven connection transgresses beyond physical boarders to the point that animals are able to adopt humanistic characteristics. In a graphic interpretation and illustration of trickster tales, Trickster by Matt Dembicki shows the interconnectedness in nature of different beings through anthropomorphism and transcending the boarders that separate different species
Anthropomorphism is a common occurrence in trickster tales, and many of these animals and humans have certain characteristic that parallels a archetype. An archetype is a terminology coined by Carl Jung that states that there is a instinctive need or desire to have things happen in a certain way (Boeree). The idea of archetypes is important in trickster tales and it is usually reflects a human trait. For example, in the story “How the alligator got his brown, scaly, skin” by Joyce Bear and Megan Baehr, the alligator, “was very selfish and stingy with his water. He always claimed every bit of the river as his. From up the hill, Alligator could see up and down the river and scare the other animals away” (126-127, Dembicki). Alligator's selfishness and greed is an archetype, here he feels the instinctive need to dominate the water. This dominant behavior is something that alligator has inherently, and therefore is a subconscious desire that he has. In this story alligator's selfishness mirrors human archetypes in which he wants to dominate and posses something that does not belong to him. Land and water are things that are supposed to be shared resources, but alligator is making a claim to a piece of land where many other organisms live and need to utilize this land. This is a parallel to worst of human nature and our need to own something and take it for ourselves for our own selfish purposes. This story serves almost as a warning to the white settlers that colonized the Americas when the Native Americans were here. The idea of being selfish and taking more than you need represents the mindset of the white settlers at that time who claimed the land to be their own rather than see it as a shared resource like the Native Americans had. Eventually the selfishness of alligator led to his downfall because he failed to be interconnected to the other animals and thus nature around him by wanting to dominate rather than coexist with nature. Similarly this can be seen as a human trait where selfish and needless desire to dominate nature can lead to disastrous results to anyone who tries. The anthropomorphic characteristics of the alligator are used to display the similarities and interrelatedness between human and nature, showing that humans and nature are not necessarily that different. This story between animals is used to teach a moral that can be applied to humanity as well, reinforcing the idea that there exists an interconnection between humans, animals, and nature as a whole.
The idea of transcending boarders or rather the ambiguity of boarders and separation between humans and animals provides another very provocative topic in the trickster tales. While anthropomorphism is a similarity in traits, tricksters are also physically similar to humans either presented through the power to shape shift or their appearance has traces of animalistic features to them. Inter species communication and relationships are regarded as normal in trickster tales, even though normally nature does not coexist this way. This synchronization of nature and man shows a united world where animals and humans do not differ very much between each other. For example, in the story “Trickster and the Great Chief” by David Smith, the unnamed trickster is a blend of human and animal characteristics. His hands and legs are furred and clawed like that of an animal and his malicious intentions to steal look very predatory like that of a feral animal. His primitive and ferocious outer appearance reflects his inner self as a human with malice in his heart trying to thief and prey on the helpless. The lack of separation between human and animal reiterate the close relationship between man and nature where man is a part of nature and the world around him.
Interspecies relationships are also very prominent in showing the unity of humans and nature. For example in the story “When Coyote Decided to get Married” by Eirik Thorsbard, the coyote asks the chief to, “send runners on my behalf and bring me a bride” (152, Dembicki). Even though the coyote is an animal, he asks for a human bride and the chief readily agrees to this request. Not only that but, “Many women and their families came from around the lands to go to coyote, each bringing gifts to present to him, hoping that it would ensure that coyote could give their families consideration for the marriage” (158, Dembicki). The willingness of the people to marry their daughters off and accept a coyote as part of their family shows the lack of separation between species, or rather an interconnectedness between species. The fact that coyote and his bride will be nothing alike physically does not seem to deter these women and families from coming to visit him. The casual relationship between humans and nature where humans are able to directly communicate with nature supports the idea that all life is interconnected and that the boundaries between human and animal should be few, if any.
The theme of unity with nature is a central idea that much Native American culture is based off of, and the trickster tales help preserve and reiterate this interconnectivity. By incorporating animals and humans into one central story, the Native Americans are able to be part of the cycle of life as nature intended it.
S.X.
This is a fascinating discussion on the boundaries (or lack thereof) between humans and animals. The quote by Chief Seattle really sets the tone for the whole entry, as it is clear that the argument is based on the interconnected nature of humans and surrounding life forms. In the case of the alligator, I understand the connection to the greedy archetype and the desire to be in personal control. I personally disagree with the expansion on this point to comparing Native American shared resources against the “white settlers” greed and personal gain. Both are understandable generalizations, but do not seem to add much to the discussion. Rather than criticizing the action of a particular group, I see this as more of a warning to the individual about being too greedy at the expense of others. Aside from that, I absolutely agree with the anthropomorphic characteristics that define the characters in the particular story and how they make it more relatable from a human perspective. In terms of the other stories, two of the coyote ones seem like the most clear for blurred human-animal boundaries. In “When Coyote Decided to get Married,” the lack of awkwardness when a coyote asked to marry a human woman was unsettling. I agree completely with S.X.’s quote that “The willingness of the people to marry their daughters off and accept a coyote as part of their family shows the lack of separation between species, or rather an interconnectedness between species.” There is an apparent lack of difference between humans and the coyote in this story, as no one is worried that a marriage between a human female and a male coyote will not be fruitful. One story that was not mentioned that I would like to bring up is “Coyote and the Pebbles.” In this particular story, the lines between human and animal are literally crossed as animals can take their “human form” along the way to creating images in the sky. This is interesting, as there can be a debate as to whether the natural state of these creatures is human or animal. These trickster tales truly question what the difference between human and animal is.
ReplyDelete-C.E.
I really enjoyed the alligator story. I was particularly amused by the fact that Alligator, who "was very selfish and stingy with his water," ends up with burned, dried up skin. I'm not sure if there's some hidden meaning to that though.
ReplyDeleteAs for the moral, I didn't see it as a warning to white settlers (mostly because I assumed these stories were much older and happened before the settlers arrived), but as a warning to not be selfish with your own possessions. In many cultures--such as in ancient Greece--hospitality is very important. Thus, I saw it more as a warning that if you do not share your possessions, there will be consequences. I also saw it as a parallel to the stories of Zeus punishing people who did not open their house to guests are treated their guests badly. (Zeus is often considered the God of xenoi, which can mean a variety of things, but in Homer's Illiad specifically, "guest.")
I was also really interested in the idea of dominating nature, although the ancient Greeks probably wouldn't agree with it, so that's where the comparison ends...
*I also saw it as a parallel to the stories of Zeus punishing people who did not open their house to guests *or* treated their guests badly
DeleteI don't know why I put "are."
Hey. I really love your perspective about the relationships between the trickster stories and nature. I knew from my past knowledge that American Indian cultures value a lot about the harmony between human beings and the mother nature. And reading the stories in this collection just reassured my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteAs you mentioned in your blog, the animals are broadly used to represent human characteristics. In this way, the indigenous people certainly consider themselves as part of the nature. Also, by giving the animals emotions and logics of human, Indians emphasize that all livings are equally important with each other.
All in all, your ideas about Anthropomorphism and transcending boarders between human and animals are really fascinating to me. The structure of your writing is really clear too. I really enjoyed it. Good Job!
Sarah P.