Short Stories
This week: The Trickster Edited by: Shannon More Newsletters By This Editor
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We've all heard of Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Christopher Vogler adapted the Hero's Journey into The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Vogler said, "The archetypes [the Hero, the Mentor, the Threshold Guardian, the Herald, the Shapeshifter, the Shadow, the Ally, and the Trickster] can be thought of as masks, worn by the characters temporarily as they are needed to advance a story" (24).
With the help of Vogler's The Writer's Journey, today I'd like to discuss The Trickster.
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"Tricksters serve several important psychological functions. They cut big egos down to size, and bring heroes and audiences down to earth. By provoking healthy laughter they help us realize our common bonds, and they point out folly and hypocrisy. Above all, they bring about healthy change and transformation, often by drawing attention to the imbalance or absurdity of a stagnant psychological situation. They are the natural enemies of the status quo" (Vogler 77).
When I think of tricksters, I think of Hoggle from Labyrinth, The Big Bad Wolf, Pennywise the clown from Stephen King's It, The Riddler, leprechauns, and the Joker from your average deck of playing cards. The Trickster may take many forms, such as Jack Dawkins (better known as The Artful Dodger) in Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist, or Satan himself masquerading as a serpent in the Bible's Garden of Eden.
Tricksters ... well, tricksters trick. They may be smaller, slighter, and less physically inclined, but the Trickster uses his superior cunning and adaptability to triumph over his opponent. He's the penniless pauper who wins the princess's hand after using his intellect to solve the riddle no one else was able to decipher. She's the buffoonish sidekick who contributes her own special brand of comic relief (and a large dose of reality) to the storyline (Molly Shannon as Eve in Serendipity, for example). "Tricksters are often catalyst characters, who affect the lives of others but are unchanged themselves" (Vogler 79).
Who's your favorite Trickster? How does he or she move the story forward by effecting change on those around him or her? Respond with your thoughts and I'll share them in next month's newsletter.
I hope you've enjoyed this series about archetypes and found the articles helpful. Thank you for reading.
"The Trickster archetype embodies the energies of mischief and desire for change. All the characters in stories who are primarily clowns or comical sidekicks express this archetype" (Vogler 77).
Works Cited:
Vogler, Christopher. The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Studio City: Michael Wiese Productions, 1998. Print.
For other newsletters in this series, see the links below:
Part 1--"I Need a Hero"
Part 2--"M is for Mentor"
Part 3--"The Threshold Guardian"
Part 4--"The Herald"
Part 5--"The Shapeshifter"
Part 6--"The Shadow"
Part 7--"The Ally"
Part 8--"The Trickster" |
I hope you enjoy this week's featured selections. Please do the authors the courtesy of reviewing the ones you read. Thank you, and have a great week!
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The following is in response to "Short Stories Newsletter (June 18, 2014)" :
Quick-Quill writes, "I do have the book and just ordered the newest version. It's amazing that one author can realize things change and writing isn't an exact science. It's subjective. (to MY whims. ) I look forward to your newsletters. They click with my brain, opening to new possibilities. I just read up on Anti-Heros in a book by Jessica Morrell called Bullies, Bastards and Bitches. An excellent resource. One I have to hide in the shelves not to offend or shock my visitors." That's a book I'd like to read but haven't yet. Thanks for the reminder.
BIG BAD WOLF is Howling writes, "For a good Ally, I'd recommend Gonff the Prince of Mousethieves, staunch friend of Martin the Warrior in the Redwall series. Quick-witted, a master thief, and always ready with a poem or a song, he's been with Martin since their escape from Kitor in the book Mossflower. And stemming from him is a long line of Allies and Heroes, and plenty of goodhearted thieves, and even one Abbess." Another series I haven't read but have wanted to for a while. I saw them years ago when browsing through the library. I'm gonna add them to my queue.
blunderbuss writes, "My favourite Ally has got to be Jeeves in PG Wodehouse books. The butler does have his own interests at heart (keeping his job, keeping Bertie single) but the humour originates from him and he does save Bertie from some awful scrapes! There is no question that he brings out Bertie's character to the full--he would be just a numbskull without Jeeves." Yes! And isn't "Jeeves" a stereotypical name for a butler? Great recommendation.
blue jellybaby writes, "I have to say my favorite ally is Samwise Gamgee. He's a constant figure at Frodo's side and most of the time, very quiet. But despite this he's a very loyal man, a friend and a confidant. I admire him and his bravery to overcome the conflicts and trials he does and all the while keep Frodo at his heart." I love Sam! He's a great character and a great Ally.
Koyel~writing again writes, "Hello, Editor. I enjoyed reading this newsletter and learned a lot about allies who provide a backup to our stories. Thanks for sharing." Thank YOU! I'm glad you liked it.
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