Scheherazade's Sisters - (Contributions in Women's Studies) by Marilyn Jurich (Hardcover)

About the Book

Based on the author's discovery of a new folktale type, the female trickster, Jurich's book identifies and celebrates those female protagonists in folktales who use trickery to save themselves and others, to find new directions for their lives, and to declare their individual autonomies, especially in societies that diminish and oppress women. Through creative strategies depending on verbal facility, psychological acuity, and diplomatic know-how, these women tricksters--better named trickstars--uncover the absurdity, hypocrisy, and corruption in the larger patriarchal society. Through the trickstar's efforts, the system is circumvented or foiled, often enlightened, and usually improved. This multicultural, comparative study reveals universal human traits as well as gender differences between female and male tricksters and realizes the values and attitudes which shape the trickstar's character and behavior. Trickstars also appear outside of the oral folktale tradition; the author discusses their roles in contemporary feminist revisionist tales, as well as in mythology, biblical narratives, Shakespearean comedy, novels, plays, and opera.

How the female trickster differs from her male counterpart is, for the first time in folklore studies, illustrated through a comparison of their functions in the narrative scheme of the tale. These functions include the diverting or amusing role, the morally ambiguous or reprehensible role, the role of the manipulator or strategist, and the role of the transformer or culture bringer who reforms and improves the nature of her society. Jurich delineates the specific types of tricksters who perform these functions, suggests how trickstar tales variously affect listeners and readers, and shows how particular types of trickstar characters contribute to the intent of the tale. Feminist views of the protagonists are analyzed as well as contemporary revisionist tales which seek to reverse negative female images and to present independent women characters who can and do make positive contributions to society. For the first time in folklore studies, both female and male tricksters are defined and differentiated, their functions are illustrated through analyzing narrative schemes, and the term trickstar, invented by the author, is used to define and describe a female trickster.

Book Synopsis

Based on the author's discovery of a new folktale type, the female trickster, Jurich's book identifies and celebrates those female protagonists in folktales who use trickery to save themselves and others, to find new directions for their lives, and to declare their individual autonomies, especially in societies that diminish and oppress women. Through creative strategies depending on verbal facility, psychological acuity, and diplomatic know-how, these women tricksters--better named trickstars--uncover the absurdity, hypocrisy, and corruption in the larger patriarchal society. Through the trickstar's efforts, the system is circumvented or foiled, often enlightened, and usually improved. This multicultural, comparative study reveals universal human traits as well as gender differences between female and male tricksters and realizes the values and attitudes which shape the trickstar's character and behavior. Trickstars also appear outside of the oral folktale tradition; the author discusses their roles in contemporary feminist revisionist tales, as well as in mythology, biblical narratives, Shakespearean comedy, novels, plays, and opera.

How the female trickster differs from her male counterpart is, for the first time in folklore studies, illustrated through a comparison of their functions in the narrative scheme of the tale. These functions include the diverting or amusing role, the morally ambiguous or reprehensible role, the role of the manipulator or strategist, and the role of the transformer or culture bringer who reforms and improves the nature of her society. Jurich delineates the specific types of tricksters who perform these functions, suggests how trickstar tales variously affect listeners and readers, and shows how particular types of trickstar characters contribute to the intent of the tale. Feminist views of the protagonists are analyzed as well as contemporary revisionist tales which seek to reverse negative female images and to present independent women characters who can and do make positive contributions to society. For the first time in folklore studies, both female and male tricksters are defined and differentiated, their functions are illustrated through analyzing narrative schemes, and the term trickstar, invented by the author, is used to define and describe a female trickster.

Review Quotes

"Dr. Jurich has found in numerous tales a heroine who has not hitherto gotten enough attention, namely the trickster in its female form, labelled trickstar. This is a heroine who is self-sufficient, enjoys games and demonstrates cleverness, initiative, and courage. She turns obstacles into triumphs and has a sense of humor. The trickstar exposes hypocrisies and stupidities in the social establishment and introduces new ways of thinking and different ways of looking at gender. Dr. Jurich's presentation of this heroine is well argued, well supported and enthusiastically written. This is a book worthy of attention from folklorists and feminists alike."-Torborg Lundell University of California

"Jurich's research is extensive and detailed....Her summaries of folk tales are both lively and economical; and, in her obvious enjoyment of the tales themselves, she never loses sight of her purpose....Scheherezade's Sister is both readable and provocative. [Her] narrative is also extraordinarily rich in examples and informed by her own infectious enthusiasm for her subject and discoveries."-Paradoxa

?Educators and others seeking folktales with strong female heros will find this guide useful.?- Choice

?Jurich's research is extensive and detailed....Her summaries of folk tales are both lively and economical; and, in her obvious enjoyment of the tales themselves, she never loses sight of her purpose....Scheherezade's Sister is both readable and provocative. [Her] narrative is also extraordinarily rich in examples and informed by her own infectious enthusiasm for her subject and discoveries.?- Paradoxa

?Marilyn Jurich's Scheherazade's Sisters is a welcome addition to the literature on tricksters. A few years ago, when I was preparing to teach a course on tricksters, I made a fairy extensive search for examples and analyses of female tricksters with very little success. This volume would have been a dream come true.... Scheherazade's Sisters will prove to be a much-used reference work for it's mass of references to female tricksters; in addition, it deserves to be carefully considered for its analytical contributions.?- Journal of Folklore

"Educators and others seeking folktales with strong female heros will find this guide useful."-Choice

"Marilyn Jurich's Scheherazade's Sisters is a welcome addition to the literature on tricksters. A few years ago, when I was preparing to teach a course on tricksters, I made a fairy extensive search for examples and analyses of female tricksters with very little success. This volume would have been a dream come true.... Scheherazade's Sisters will prove to be a much-used reference work for it's mass of references to female tricksters; in addition, it deserves to be carefully considered for its analytical contributions."-Journal of Folklore

About the Author

MARILYN JURICH is Associate Professor of English at Suffolk University. She teaches courses in fantasy and folklore, speculative literature, children's literature, the 18th century novel and modern British poetry. She has intertwined writing poetry and composing plays for children with publishing scholarly essays on topics ranging from Dorothy Wordsworth's poetic imagination to Stanislaw Lem's philosophical science fiction novels.