“The Trickster” A Close Reading

“I am Coyote” (Pearce 10).

1 Characterization

“The last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to himself” (5).

How is Josh being characterized? Shy Doesn’t like attention Nervous

“His mom had needed the coyote skull and pelt for a project she was doing with her Grade 6 class. She’d persuaded Josh to go for her” (Pearce 6).

How is Josh being characterized? His mom is teacher He’s a good son Helpful

“Adaptable, he thought. That’s me” (Pearce 7).

How is Josh being characterized? He thinks he’s adaptable Adaptable means able to change to fit your environment He compares himself to a coyote

“He dropped the coat and sprang into Kung Fu readiness “He dropped the coat and sprang into Kung Fu readiness. OK, so that’s where the replay deviated a bit from what actually happened that night. In actual fact, he’d dropped the jacket and run” (Pearce 8).

How is Josh being characterized? Josh keeps changing what actually happened to fit what he wants to have happened

“He still felt unnerved, off balance “He still felt unnerved, off balance. He couldn’t even go out of the house without looking over his shoulder. He felt uncomfortable around people in a way he hadn’t before” (Pearce 8).

How is Josh being characterized? Josh has lost trust in humans since the mugging He is no longer innocent He’s realizing the world is a rough place

“He’d done what he needed to do to survive – like the coyote” (Pearce 8).

How is Josh being characterized? Compares himself to a coyote again Importance: Coyote’s are adaptable and tough BUT also looked down upon by humans

“It almost gave him a feeling of power to know that he’d watched a part of their lives—perhaps even knew something about them—and they hadn’t even seen him” (Pearce 9).

How is Josh being characterized? Knowledge = power Josh feels more in control now that he knows more about his opponents

“Josh felt like a cornered animal” (Pearce 10).

How is Josh being characterized? More comparisons to a coyote But he draws strength from this: “Anger flared in his gut, then was gone. He realized he no longer felt afraid” (Pearce 10).

“I am Coyote” (Pearce 10).

How is Josh being characterized? Josh uses the power of the coyote to enforce his will on the four guys He knows things about them that humanize the guys (which weakens them)

SO WHAT? Maybe, Josh’s growth in the story argues that we should embrace our “inner coyote,” be willing to adapt to tough situations, and use all of our knowledge and skill to survive.

2 Flashback

“Josh thought back to the meeting at the university” (Pearce 6). “Even when he managed to put getting mugged the other night out of his mind, it still came back to stalk him” (Pearce 7).

How is flashback used in this story? Josh recalls much of this story while riding the bus home from the university. This literary device is used to set the scene for the central conflict of the story AND Josh’s flashbacks allow him to change his past in his mind This stops him from acting in the present

SO WHAT? Maybe, it isn’t until Josh is forced to live in the present that he is able to face his fears and deal with the bullies.

3 Stereotype

“He had a dark, narrow face and wore a blue bandana tied around the top of his head” (Pearce 7)

How is stereotype used in this story? Josh sees the four guys as tough and dangerous because they fit the stereotype of “gangsters”

“The fourth guy tried to kiss the girl, but she didn’t seem to want to kiss him back. He hesitated, then shrugged and turned to join the others” (Pearce 9).

How is stereotype used in this story? The fourth guy’s hesitation humanizes him Breaks the stereotype of the “tough gangster” Josh realizes that people are not always what they seem

SO WHAT? Josh learns that everyone is human. Everyone has problems. This gives him the courage to stand up to the more human, and therefore relatable, tough guys.

3 The Coyote

“People seem to prefer them dead to alive” (Pearce 6). “I guess they have a bit of a PR problem” (Pearce 6).

The Coyote as a symbol in “The Trickster” Coyotes are seen as dangerous and harmful to the city The university worker says they help keep the rat population down Coyotes seem to be misunderstood

“Coyotes are one of the few wild animals that have expanded their numbers and territory—despite people trying to get rid of them. It’s because they’re so good at adapting to things” (Pearce 7).

The Coyote as a symbol in “The Trickster” Josh compares himself to the coyote often He is also adaptable He adapts to being bullied and finds a solution by literally becoming a “coyote” “I am Coyote” (Pearce 10).

SO WHAT? Josh adapts to his situation, just like the coyotes. Maybe, adaptability is a part of growing up. Learning to deal with tough situations by learning more about them is a way of dealing with them.

A Quick Recap Characterization Flashback Stereotype Symbolism All are present in this story All help us understand the “so what”?