Trickster Figure in the Contemporary Native American Literature: A Reading of Sherman Alexie’s The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
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Abstract
The trickster figures portray cleverness, knowledge, power, and also become the ancestral figure for the Native Americans by keeping the community connected through the medium of songs, myths and folktales. A trickster’s role is to transgress the rules of the society by turning them upside down and protects its people from the danger to be-fall. Wherein the same trickster figure also departs his elder traditional knowledge to his community to keep them connected to their roots. Therefore, performing the role of both a trickster and an ancestor for the community. This paper revolves around a thorough understanding as well as analysis of Sherman Alexie’s works, his collection of short stories and the film. Alexie’s attempt to revisit the past and preserve the tradition for the future generation.
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References
Alexie, Sherman. Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. N.p.: Paperback, 2013. Print.
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Smoke Signals. By Sherman Alexie, Brian Capener, Brian Berdan, BC Smith, Ron Otis, Ray Brown, Tim Simonec, and Patrick O'Sullivan. Prod. Sherman Alexie, Chris Eyre, Scott Rosenfelt, Larry Estes, David Skinner, Carl Bressler, Roger Baerwolf, Randy Suhr, Brent Morris, Charles Armstrong, Ron Leamon, and Cynthia Bornia. Dir. Chris Eyre. Perf. Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer, Tantoo Cardinal, Cody Lightning, Michelle St. John, Robert Miano, Molly Cheek, Simon Baker, Monique Mojica, Elaine Miles, Michael Greyeyes, Leonard George, John Trudell, Darwin Haine, Tom Skerritt, Cynthia Geary, and Perrey Reeves. Miramax Films, 1998. You Tube. October 14, 2017
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