Tom Robbins Trickster

Desire and Mischief
Tom Robbins once said, “The trickster's function is to break taboos, create mischief, [and] stir things up. In the end, the trickster gives people what they really want, some sort of freedom.” Tricksters exist in all types of literature. They take part in poems, books, short stories, and even cartoons and movies. One piece of literature that contains examples of tricksters would be the short story, Tselane and the Giant. This story is a great example because it contains more than one example of a trickster. Another excellent example of a trickster would be the well known cartoon character, Bugs Bunny. Bugs Bunny is a wonderful example of a trickster mainly because he is constantly playing silly and absurd tricks. Although …show more content…
The Giant loves to cause mischief for Tselane and the other people of the town. In the story, the Giant pretends to be Tselane’s mother in order to kidnap her. The Giant is an example of a trickster because he deceives Tselane by singing her mother's song the exact same way she would. The Giant is a great illustration of a trickster because he learns what days her mother arrives, and the tone and words of the song her mother sings. If the Giant wouldn't have tricked Tselane into thinking he was her mother, he wouldn’t be considered a trickster. But the Giant is not the only example of a trickster in this story. The Giant's wife is also a trickster. His wife tricks the Giant into freeing Tselane. She causes mischief for the giant by sending bees, wasps, hornets, and scorpions after him. She is an example of a trickster because instead of asking her husband to free Tselane, she swindled him into letting her go. Both the giant and his wife fulfill the definition of a trickster: someone who cheats or deceives someone else for their own personal gain. Throughout the entire story the Giant is cheating and deceiving the townspeople, and even later, his wife joins in on his