The Native American Trickster Tales Analysis

The Native American Trickster Tales may have a frightening side to them because seemingly vast majorities of people are scared of the ‘joker’ type characters introduced to them through all kinds of media. There is the party clown who terrifies most children and then there is the ‘joker’ in Batman movies, whom plays the villain. This example can of course only work for those who have experienced joker characters before reading The Native American Trickster Tales. Tricksters and jokers alike happen to be scary and comedic at the same time. The Native American Trickster tales seem to be frightening because it presents the ultimate conflict between individual and society. The trickster twists the rules and overrides the morals and boundaries
of society. The trickster or coyote brings disorder and change, which makes the tales frightening. What may be threatening about the trickster and the trouble he causes to the listener is that he is trying to take over society by himself. Even though he is getting help from all of the other animals, he seems to be tricking them also into only himself getting the prize in the end, the prize of food and glory. The coyote trickster also may be more threatening towards women because he is very sexually driven and does not treat the woman body with respect when he turns into one. An example is when he gets many different animal friends to have intercourse with him so he/she could be married to the chief to then survive off of his food. Threat also is seen in the “Coyote, Skunk, and the Prairie Dogs” story, the coyote is teaching the audience how not to behave by begging for food.