She shall overcome: Overtures to the Trickster heroine

With the growth of the woman's movement in the 1970s and the new attention being given to children's literature, the image of the woman in folktales became a subject for serious consideration. Feminists objected to her stereotyped depictions as passive princess or wicked witch, with little in between. However, the depiction of the woman in folktales has seldom been clearly realized; her role in the tale has been oversimplified and she has been denied motivation and intention. Particularly slighted has been the consideration of the female in American folktales. Such a consideration reveals that while she is often a victim, her independence, moral conviction and active intellect frequently show her to be stronger and certainly more admirable that those who oppress her.While the woman may often submit to others' demands, her behavior may be explained as the only means she has to survive or as the best means she has to subvert an uncompromising system. Admittedly, open rebellion is impossible, subject as woman is to cruel and even lascivious fathers and to the brutal or merely thoughtless whims of lovers and husbands. Yet, even in tales where woman is dominated and oppressed, she may be able to manipulate the forces that deny her freedom, may be able to struggle towards a selfhood. That selfhood becomes evident in her role as witch and even in her roles as ghost and spirit. In addition, when other tales are examined (not in the province of this paper), the female in American folktales emerges as ‘The Trickster Heroine.’ This paper concentrates on the tales which emphasize the need for her transformation and suggest the wit and wiliness she has that will enable her to become this ‘heroine’.