ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF ...
ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF ...
ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF ...
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the Little Boy. The Little Boy listens intently, occasionally interjecting questions or<br />
comments, as Uncle Remus relates the adventures <strong>of</strong> Brer Rabbit, his key nemesis Brer<br />
Fox, and more than a dozen other characters. Critics and literary scholars have compared<br />
Harris’ metaphoric uses <strong>of</strong> animals to the struggles in human conflicts, to traditional<br />
African trickster tales, as well as to European works by Aesop and Chaucer. 172<br />
Some general similarities to Punch and Judy suggest the attraction such stories<br />
might have held for a puppeteer. Like Punch, Brer Rabbit thwarts all attempts to control<br />
or capture him. In perhaps the most famous story, Brer Fox creates a sculpture <strong>of</strong> a baby<br />
in tar. Brer Rabbit arrives and attempts to have a chat with the baby. Enraged by the<br />
child’s refusal to discourse with him, Brer Rabbit strikes it and becomes trapped. Victory<br />
for the fox seems certain, but Mr. Rabbit fools him into the hare’s release, using what has<br />
become one <strong>of</strong> the most famous acts <strong>of</strong> trickery in all <strong>of</strong> American popular culture:<br />
“Well, I speck I got you dis time, Brer Rabbit […] You been runnin’ ‘roun’ here<br />
sassin’ atter me a mighty long time, but I speck you done come ter de cen’ er de<br />
row […] ‘en dar you is, en dar you’ll stay twel I fixes up a bresh- pile and fires her<br />
up, kaze I’m gwinteter bobbycue you dis day, sho,” sez Brer Fox, sezee.<br />
Den Brer Rabbit talk mighty ‘umble,<br />
“I don’t keer w’at you do wid me, Brer Fox,” sezee, “so you don’t fling me in dat<br />
brier-patch. Roas’ me, Brer Fox,” sezee, “but don’t fling me in dat brier-patch,”<br />
sezee.<br />
“I ain’t got no string,” sez Brer Fox, sezee, “en now I speck I’ll hatter drwon<br />
you,” sezee.<br />
“Drown me des ez deep es you please, Brer Fox,” sez Brer Rabbit, sezee, “but do<br />
don’t fling me in dat brier-patch, “ sezee.<br />
“Dey ain’t no water nigh,” sez Brer Fox, sezee, “en now I speck I’ll hatter skin<br />
you,” sezee.<br />
172<br />
“Biography <strong>of</strong> Joel Chandler Harris,” In Harper Anthology <strong>of</strong> American Literature, vol. 2 (New<br />
York: Harper & Row, 1994).<br />
133