'Trickster In How Stories Came To Earth'

All tricksters have negative qualities of them that make them tricksters, not clever heroes. They would not be tricksters if they did not have negative qualities about them. In the story How Stories Came to Earth, on page 42, it states “Then Anansi came out of his hiding place, and said, “Fool, I have got you, and now I will take you to the sky-god to buy his stories once and for all.” Every time Anansi would catch the creature he was looking for in order to get the stories, he would insult them. He did this to every one of the creatures he had captured before taking them to the sky-god. On page 45 of Coyote Steals Fire, it states “Coyote calmly put on his outer skin and fur again. “Goodbye Uncle,” he said to Thunder. “Don’t gamble. It is not
what you do best.” Then he ran off.” He almost insulted his uncle and then he just ran off. Heroes do not go insulting the people they defeat. Only tricksters would insult and run off like that. In the story Master Cat or Puss in Boots, on page 48, it states “Just as he was stretching out, he scented success: a young rabbit, still wet behind the ears, hopped into the sack. Master Cat pulled the strings in a flash, grabbed the bag, and, without feeling the least pity for his prey killed it.” Cats are known for hunting prey to get their food, but the cat killed a baby animal. If the Master Cat was a hero, then he would not have killed a very young animal like that, he would have tried to get a more mature prey to get, rather than a baby. The tricksters in each of these stores have negative qualities about them. They are what make them tricksters in stories.