Journal Problem: Native American Trickster
In "Azban and the Crayfish," the racoon is the trickster, but the little crayfish is also dishonest. The story tells us that the lesson is about the little crayfish's dishonesty, not the racoon's dishonesty. It also tells us that we should never celebrate the misfortunes of others. What's the difference here in the racoon and the crayfish? Why is it that our response to a trickster is the lesson? How does this compare to fairy tales like "Little Red Riding Hood" where the girl's gullibility is the lesson, not the wolf's deceptiveness?
In "Raven the Trickster," Raven is selfish and disobedient. When we first meet him he is behaving cruelly for no reason other than his own amusement. He is also dishonest. He does all of the things fairy tale villains usually do, but in this case he gets away with it, and because the tale itself does not include any moralizing about Raven's behavior, we are free to see him as merely clever rather than evil if we choose. Based on this story, what would you say is the main difference in a villain and a trickster?
The response should include a reference list. One-inch margins, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space and APA style of writing and citations.