Literary notes about trickster (AI summary)
The word “trickster” in literature functions as a multifaceted label for characters who embody cunning, deceit, and a playful subversion of norms. It is used to denote figures capable of outsmarting others for personal gain or humorous effect, as when a character’s guile undermines power or authority [1],[2]. At times, the trickster carries a moral ambiguity, blurring the lines between villainy and subversive cleverness, a duality that can be both satirical and sympathetic [3],[4]. In some narratives, the trickster not only manipulates circumstances to his advantage but also becomes ensnared in his own schemes, reflecting the precarious nature of his identity [5],[6]. Overall, the term carries connotations of wit, instability, and irony, inviting readers to question the nature of deception and the fine line between heroism and treachery [7],[8].
- Thou knowest well that Yudhishthira was deprived of his kingdom by the evil trickster Shakuni.
— from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. (Donald Alexander) Mackenzie - "I say now, unequivocally, that Governor Wells is a political trickster and a dishonest man.
— from Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, General, United States Army — Volume 2 by Philip Henry Sheridan - Of course he is a trickster at times; admitted that he stoops to conquer at times, yet in his field he is supreme.
— from Contemporary American ComposersBeing a Study of the Music of This Country, Its PresentConditions and Its Future, with Critical Estimates andBiographies of the Principal Living Composers; and anAbundance of Portraits, Fac-simile Musical Autographs, andCompositions by Rupert Hughes - “Gods take human agencies to ruin a man in these days, even Hermes the Trickster.
— from A Victor of Salamis by William Stearns Davis - I've been over and over the angles and there's one thing you can always count on—a trickster will always outsmart himself if you give him the chance.
— from Birds of a Feather by Robert Silverberg - Why, every trickster keeps his excuses ready on his tongue against the time he's caught.
— from Lawrence Clavering by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason - Nature had branded him in her own special way ‘Trickster,’ for those who cared to search for her trademark.
— from Temporal Power: A Study in Supremacy by Marie Corelli - Coyote is at once a trickster and a giver of civilization and arts to man.
— from The Religion of the Indians of California by A. L. (Alfred Louis) Kroeber
