In “Coyote and the Buffalo”, Mourning Dove creates the morally complex character, Coyote, whose adventures are caused by his vanity, greed, and cleverness. In the end, his downfall leads the reader to learn that deceit as a means to success is not as effective as going about it “the right way,” or, rather, the conventionally accepted way.
The tale of “Coyote and the Buffalo” suggests that all tricksters will inevitably run into problems and must reform themselves. However, Disney’s tricksters, Phineas and Ferb, create impossibly great schemes on a daily basis and are never punished. Phineas and Ferb are not the traditional tricksters; they do not deliberately attempt to deceive others (in fact, they treat even their obviously disdainful sister, Candace, with respect), but their deception merely falls into place by chance. They never face consequences for their shenanigans, as evidence of whatever grand project they build always miraculously disappears before their parents get home.
We all want to be tricksters, those who get through life without ever having to lift a finger -- that’s why we sympathize with Coyote despite his lack of moral fiber and root for Phineas and Ferb even though we know we know their parents would never approve of their dangerous projects. And, at the same time, we all are already those tricksters -- I think that’s why people enjoy sharing procrastination stories, why people brag about never studying for tests, why skinny people are proud of eating a lot and having “fast metabolisms”. It’s all about being clever, having the natural ability to transcend the conventional...being invincible.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed the little video at the end.On your post, however, you bring up ideas that truly speak to the human condition. We all strive to break the line, even as we tread so carefully on it. Your effortless connection to modern storytelling, in the form of a visceral cartoon, is not just a metaphor for the metamorphosis of story telling, but an insight for the deepest intentions of the human mind.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you connected the trickster characters to Phineas and Ferb and I enjoyed watching the video at the end too. Overall I think you made very good points and I agree that everyone wants to be that trickster that can get out of anything and do as much as possible with as little effort as possible. I also liked how you pointed out how Phineas and Ferb are not the tricksters trying to gain something through deceit and that they are rather "good" tricksters who really have no bad intention.
ReplyDeleteYour allusions to things as diverse as a children's television show and a Native American folktale are really inspiring and leave the reader no choice but to contemplate your profound connection. Also, it's amazing how many people can relate to your description of a trickster - you've captured the essence of a majority of today's society.
ReplyDeleteThese nice examples made me have to think about the topic of tricksters while your easy to follow syntax makes it easy for readers to relate. The example about getting though life without having to lift a finger was especially true in my opinion.
ReplyDelete