Laughing with Caution. Ikalanga Trickster Tales and the Gender Question

Essay , 2013 , 11 Pages , Grade: Undergraduate

Literature - Africa

The essay looks at the role of the trickster in oral literature and argues that the trickster is neither male nor female. The essay argues that the trickster is androgynous and it is this concept that makes the trickster able to outwit the larger and more powerful creatures in the tales. As such, the essay makes a point that the trickster's success at outwitting animals in folklore has nothing to do with it being male!

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introductory matters
• Evans – Pritchard's study
• Jane Agyemang-Opoku mentions two versions of an Ananse story
• The rendering of the Ikalanga third person pronoun is a case in point
• The storytellers criticise society through the eyes of an existing social order
• The storyteller's denial of an alternative ‘sexing' of the trickster is the outcome of a socialization process
• The concept of an androgynous trickster is revolutionary in that it transforms the way a storyteller and indeed a listener looks at their society
• The trickster then is strengthened by this lack of fixed identity, this inversion (paradox even)
• If the trickster is androgynous then why do we, including Scheub, picture it as a ‘he'?
• Just as trickster tales can be made to promote stereotypical images of men and women in society, so too trickster tales can be used to refashion sex roles

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper examines how Ikalanga trickster tales, through humor, perpetuate patriarchal ideology and undermine women within the community. The author utilizes the concept of androgyny to analyze the trickster figure, exploring how its non-conformity to traditional gender paradigms offers a lens to understand social definitions of masculinity and femininity. Key themes explored include:

• The role of trickster tales in perpetuating patriarchal power structures
• The significance of androgyny in understanding the trickster's character and its subversion of gender norms
• The influence of language and translation on gender representation in trickster tales
• The use of humor as a tool for masking and reinforcing patriarchal ideology
• The potential for re-interpreting trickster tales to challenge gender stereotypes and empower female characters.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introductory matters: This section introduces the study's premise that trickster tales act as a vehicle for patriarchal ideology, using humor to mask its underlying message. It argues that the trickster figure is often misrepresented as a male character, overlooking its inherent androgyny.
• Evans – Pritchard's study: This chapter examines Evans-Pritchard's work on Zande trickster tales, highlighting how they reflect the social organization of the Zande community. The author criticizes Evans-Pritchard's view of the trickster as exclusively male, emphasizing the need for a deeper analysis of gender dynamics.
• Jane Agyemang-Opoku mentions two versions of an Ananse story: This section delves into Jane Agyemang-Opoku's analysis of Ananse stories, contrasting two different versions and highlighting the potential for manipulation of gender roles in storytelling. The author explores how the absence of female characters in certain versions reinforces patriarchal norms.
• The rendering of the Ikalanga third person pronoun is a case in point: This chapter examines the challenges of translating trickster tales from Ikalanga into English, emphasizing how the lack of gender-specific pronouns in Ikalanga leads to the misrepresentation of the trickster as male in English translations.
• The storytellers criticise society through the eyes of an existing social order: This section explores how the storytellers, through their portrayal of the trickster as male, reinforce patriarchal norms and values. It argues that this misrepresentation serves to maintain existing power structures and perpetuate stereotypical gender roles.
• The storyteller's denial of an alternative ‘sexing' of the trickster is the outcome of a socialization process: This chapter examines how the storyteller's choice to portray the trickster as male is a result of a patriarchal socialization process that marginalizes females. It explores how this marginalization is reflected in the stories themselves, further entrenching patriarchy.
• The concept of an androgynous trickster is revolutionary in that it transforms the way a storyteller and indeed a listener looks at their society: This section argues for the importance of recognizing the trickster's androgyny, suggesting that this reinterpretation offers a challenge to patriarchal dominance and allows for a more nuanced understanding of social norms.
• The trickster then is strengthened by this lack of fixed identity, this inversion (paradox even): This chapter highlights the paradoxical nature of the trickster, drawing strength from its hybridity and its ability to operate outside traditional gender parameters. It explores the "hare factor," which embodies this androgynous quality.
• If the trickster is androgynous then why do we, including Scheub, picture it as a ‘he'? This section questions the tendency to perceive the trickster as male, despite evidence of its androgynous nature. It explores the influence of storytelling, translation, and cultural biases in shaping our understanding of the trickster figure.
• Just as trickster tales can be made to promote stereotypical images of men and women in society, so too trickster tales can be used to refashion sex roles: This chapter explores the potential for re-interpreting trickster tales to challenge gender stereotypes and empower female characters. It emphasizes the importance of retelling these stories in a way that dismantles patriarchal structures.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This paper explores the intersection of trickster tales, gender, and patriarchy in the Ikalanga oral tradition. Key concepts include androgyny, humor as a tool for ideological reinforcement, translation and its impact on gender representation, and the potential for re-interpreting trickster tales to promote gender equality.

• College: University of Botswana
• Grade: Undergraduate
• Author: Wazha Lopang (Author)
• Publication Year: 2013
• Pages: 11
• Catalog Number: V266741
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656575238
• ISBN (Book): 9783656575221
• Language: English
• Tags: laughing, caution, ikalanga