The “other” texts that I suggest we read are writings that originate with the ancient African slaves’ tradition of storytelling. The tales of the slave trickster (and the history of them) is very intriguing. African American folktales that originated during slavery in America speak volumes of the resiliency and wittiness of the captive slaves. These would be very relevant due to the unmistakable impact that literature that originated in West Africa has had on American literature (specifically that which has been historically contributed by African Americans.”One popular folktale from this era is called “The Tar Baby.” Another is “Why Mosquitoes Buzz in Peoples’ Ears,” and there is also “Anansi, the Spider.” These folktales will probably be familiar to many in the class, but I think that their significance (both modern-day and historical relevance) will be something new to the most in the class. Also, I think that it would be interesting to engage in this reading in a manner that is native to the West African custom.
“Many of the folk tales have musical participation by the audience that adds much to the tale. It is common for the audience to answer questions aloud, to clap their hands in rhythm to word repetition (chorus), and to join in the chorus….Some of the tales have a repetitive quality to them (such as, the same chorus may be used repeatedly) because the audience wants to enjoy the story and participate in the experience for as long as possible.”
I would be interested in adding music to this and having the entire class participate in this in some way. There are many other stories of African trickster tales that became part of the American slaves’ oral tradition and eventually part of present-day mainstream America.