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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

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