GENG 260 1st Edition Lecture 1 Outline of Current Lecture I. African American FolktalesA. Pros and consII. Myth and LegendIII. Playing the Fool vs. Being the FoolIV. Past and PresentCurrent LectureI. African American Folktales- Oral vs. Printed: Literary scholars would go to plantations to hear, then write down African American stories. Since most African Americans were illiterate at the time, this is the only way their stories had been documented. - Pros and Cons of Printing Oral Stories:o Pros- -It preserves a communal tradition, which otherwise could be lost-It gives historical insightCommitting the tradition to paper is very important and is considered a real art.o Cons--Difficult to recreate sounds and voices-There could be a loss of rapid-fire, and the storytelling experience-Writers being unsure if they should use “Phonetic” spelling and dialect- Phonetic Dialogue- spelling how things sound. - Pros and Cons of Phonetic Dialogueo Pros- Authenticityo Cons- Hard to read, and could be demeaning or offensive.II. Myth and Legend: Discussion on “All God’s Chillen Had Wings”- Myth- a traditional story, typically involving supernatural beings or forces, which provides an explanation or justification for something. These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- Question- What’s the symbolic significance of slaves taking flight?-Freedom: no limits while flying, you can go anywhere-Death: spiritual freedom-Escape: running away- Legend- a traditional story, especially one handed down by tradition from early timesand popularly regarded as historical (real)- Question- Did they really fly? - Reasoning- To believe something as crazy as humans flying, is like believing something as awful as slavery is okay, when it is not.III. Playing the Fool vs. Being the Fool: Discussion on “Deer Hunting Story” - How does the slave seem foolish?-The slave seems foolish because he doesn’t shoot the deer because he says he didn’t see a deer, only a white man with chairs on his head. This statement makes him seem stupid to Ole Massa.- How does Ole Massa seem foolish?-Ole Massa seems foolish because he tried to get a slave to do something for him, and got nothing in the end. - Question- Why does the slave choose to appear foolish? -He chooses to act stupid because he doesn’t want to shoot the deer.- Brer Rabbit: The Trickster Figureo Trickster- animals or characters who seem weak, but get what they want by tricking otherso Amoral- Humorous and serious with using indirect attacks on society.- Brer Rabbit (Brother Rabbit)o Seen in African and Cherokee traditionso Trickster figures are usually depicted as hares, spiders, or monkeyso Seen in the Uncle Remus StoriesIV. Past and Present- Joel Chandler Harris- wrote down the Tar Baby story after listening to someone tell it.He profited from it while the story teller got nothing in return. The dialect of this story is seen as demeaning and degrading. - Julius Lester- “The voice is more that of a presence”- Character: personality invested with distinctive attributes and qualities by a novelist or dramatist.- Caricature: grotesque or ludicrous adaptations of a person.These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is bestused as a supplement to your own notes, not as a
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