Week 7: Essay- Is Brer Rabbit Heroic?

Last week, I read about Sun Wu Kung, the Monkey King, and it lead me to thinking about what makes character's heroic. I concluded that heroes were heroes not because of their strength or pwer or abilities, but for their willingness to sacrifice their own good for the greater good. So, when I was reading Brer Rabbit, I wondered if he was a hero?

While, I do think that we are supposed to identify with Brer Rabbit as the main character, I do not believe that Brer Rabbit is a hero in the strictest sense. Brer Rabbit fails to possess one of the key traits that belongs to a hero. He is not particularly strong or powerful. However,  he is very clever and extremely likable. If he was to be a hero, he would be most comparable to the Greek hero, Odysseus. Odysseus was never as strong, or as skilled in combat as other Greek heroes, like Ajax or Achilles. He was, though, the cleverest of all of them. Odysseus is still remembered as a hero though, so it seems that a hero doesn't necessarily need to possess raw strength or power. So I would say that Brer Rabbit possesses the cleverness that might make him a hero, but he does he use that cleverness in a way that would make him heroic?

Brer Rabbit from London Charivari, source: Wikipedia

Odysseus uses his cleverness to effectively win the war for the Greeks by creating the Trojan Horse. Brer Rabbit, though, never uses his cleverness is any cause so big. He is uses his ingenuity to save his own skin, time and time again. If Brer Rabbit were to use his brain-power to save the townspeople from Brer Wolf or Brer Fox, then I would definitely call him a hero. However, he never does anything for the greater good. So, I would call him a trickster, not a hero.

Week 7: Storytelling-

"I can't believe I've that this has happened again!"

Brer Rabbit surveyed the wreckage of his home. Bark was strewn everywhere. It didn't even remotely resemble a house anymore.

"That damn Brer Wolf keeps destroying my home. I built that first one of straw, then I built that one out of pine-tops. This last one of bark hasn't seemed to fair no better. Why's that bastard got to keep messing with me and family? He ain't got no right to be wrecking my stuff," thought Brer Rabbit angrily.

His feud with Brer Fox and Brer Wolf had lasted as long as he could remember. However, he was beginning to get tired of it.

"Kids," yelled Brer Rabbit! "Where are you?!"

Then one by one, his children began to emerge from their hiding places under the bark.

"One... two... three... four... five... Where's Foo Foo? That little bunny is always disappearing."

His kids told him that Brer Wolf had taken little bunny Foo Foo off into the forest. Brer Rabbit was now angrier than he'd even been in his short, little life.

"If that wolf, for the love of god, shows up at my door again, I promise that I'll kill him. He'll never steal one of my children again!"

So, Brer Rabbit had a new house built. This one had a strong rock foundation and was made with solid planks of wood. He also had a small hiding built for his kids, just in case the wolf found his way in.

Some time later, Brer Rabbit was sitting on his porch, enjoying the day. But then, he heard a commotion up the road. Holding up a hand to block the sun, he saw Brer Wolf running straight for his front door.

"Kids, go hide in the basement!"

Not moments after his kids had been safely hidden, Brer Rabbit heard a pounding at the door. Brer Wolf was begging to be let in, saying that there was a pack of dogs after him. Smiling to himself, Brer Rabbit quickly opened the door to let him in.

"Come, Brer Wolf, I have a great hiding spot for you. Hop in this chest and I'll make sure that those dogs never get you."

He locked the chest closed, and then he went and retrieved his children. He had them put a pot of water on the stove. Finally, he grabbed a drill and began boring holes in the chest.

"Don't worry Brer Wolf, these holes are so you can breathe. There are still a few dogs sniffing around."

Winking at his kids, he asked them to get the now boiling hot water off the stove. He began to pour the scalding water into the little holes that he'd made.

"Don't worry Brer Wolf. You only feel some fleas biting. I promise that it will all be ok!"

He continued to pour the steaming water, until he had fulfilled his promise. Brer Wolf would never bother Brer Rabbit or anyone else ever again. In fact, if you ever visit Brer Rabbit's house, you'll see a wolf pelt hanging up in the back porch.

Brer Rabbit and his Family, source: Wikipedia

Author's Note-

This a re-telling of The Aweful Fate of Mr. Wolf from the perspective of Brer Rabbit. Brer Wolf, as it says in the story, continuously troubles Brer Rabbit by destroying his house and stealing his children. Eventually, Brer Rabbit has enough of it, and kills him with scalding water in front of his kids, which I thought was a little weird. 

Bibliography-

Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881).

Week 7: Reading Diary- Brer Rabbit

These are my thought on the African tales of Brer Rabbit...

The Calamus Root:

Well, the dialect definitely makes this a chore to read. However, reading it out loud makes it a lot easier. I always wondered where the "Brer" came from in Brer rabbit, but it seems, based on the dialect, that it is a truncation of brother. I do find it interesting that Brer Rabbit outsmarted Brer Fox. Usually, the fox is the most cunning creature, but not this time!

The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story:

So the Fox does outsmart the rabbit this time! I wonder what the lesson in this story is? It seems like Brer Rabbit should have kept on going after he got ignored, but instead he gets offended. He eventually turns to hitting the Tar-Baby and that is his undoing. It's interesting that this is the most famous of all the Brer Rabbit stories.

Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace:

I kind of like that the Possum got called by the Raccoon for being a coward. the explanation we get is a little interesting though. Brer Possum is good in any fight that doesn't involve tickling. It is the tickling that causes him to play dead, which is a likely story!

How Mr. Rabbit was too Sharp for Mr. Fox:

So this is the story with the famous brier patch. Brer Rabbit manages to trick Brer Fox into throwing him into the brier patch, where he is able to escape. Naturally, he still can't keep his mouth shut, so he calls back to Brer Fox. Cleverness is looking like the most desirable trait based on these stories.

Mr. Fox is Outdone by Mr. Buzzard:

Reading the dialect is getting easier. I kind of like it actually, because it adds a little more character to the story. It feels like I'm reading an original, not a translation. Brer Fox seems like he gets outsmarted by everyone haha. Even the Buzzard is smarter than he is.

Mr. Wolf Makes a Failure:

Brer Wolf does a good job of setting up Brer Rabbit, but Brer Fox ends up ruining it. Brer Rabbit gets him to holler out, proving that he's not dead. I also like the little saying that Brer Rabbit has. Like "Too many friends spoils dinner." You can tell that these stories are meant to teach lessons, as well as entertainment.

Mr. Fox Tackles Old Man Tarrypin:

So from the notes, it sounds like the turtle has been a key character in many fables. The turtle always finds a way to get back to the water. Mr. Fox, though, can't do anything haha. He always ends up losing whatever he wants.

The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf:

So Brer Rabbit kills Brer Wolf by pouring scalding water on him. That seems pretty brutal for a story like this. Brer Rabbit's children are even laughing at Brer Wolf, because they know what is about to happen. I guess different cultures have different expectations for children's stories.