After a bit of searching, I found that the Coyote was a trickster and occasionally fertility god in some Native American myths. So the story may have been intended as somewhat of a modern retelling of an ancient fertility myth, or perhaps a mashup of ancient mythology and the American mythology surrounding high school.
This helped me get a perspective on the story. I hope it helps you.
Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteI loved the story and thought it was very well written. I swear, I finished it in 5 minutes flat because I was just so intrigued. I felt the same as you though, I felt like Coyote had just abandoned me without giving me a real answer.
This explanation makes me feel a bit better, like Coyote gave me a good reason for leaving. The mythical element of it might also be it's reason for inclusion in a science fiction anthology.
That does help the story make more sense. I kept trying to figure out what was happening. It was an interesting story, although I still wish there was a little more explanation at the end.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was completely lost and how no idea where it was going. I just kept thinking, "Is he a werewolf? Is he turning people into werewolves??" and after it ended I just decided that I still had no idea what had just unfolded before me.
ReplyDeleteBut I can definitely see the Native American mythology aspect to it now. It sheds a new light on it. And I'm sure if I went back and read it again with that mindset, then I could follow it much better.
So I'm assuming that rabbits also play a part in Native American mythology? Does anyone know if there is a legend or fable involving a coyote and rabbit? I feel like her nickname being "Bunny" is not just a coincidence. I mean, I can look it up, but I was going to give y'all a chance to comment!
I think this was my favorite story from the readings for this week, and I'm pretty sure part of the reason I liked it so much was because of the author's writing style. It was so much more straightforward than some of the other things we read, and had the advantage of not being weighed down by technological jargon. In my opinion, the best part of the story was the ease with which the author was able to translate an ancient myth, or at least mythological figures, into the present in a way that made sense.
ReplyDeleteI did some quick research, and it seems like coyote and rabbit were frequent adversaries in Native American mythology. Rabbit was typically portrayed as a trickster.
Tyler, I also found myself thinking he might be a werewolf! But that never came to light throughout the story. I also got the vibe of a native american legend due to instances in which things would suddenly become pumpkins and squash and corn, etc. Also in one part of the story, Coyote is discussing how to deal with enemies, and he says, "...Can't beat 'em, not ever...Not the lizard guarding the Sun, not the man who won't let you teach him how to plant corn..." This made me think of the strory of the first Thanksgiving, and how the indians taught the pilgrims how to plant and harvest corn for food.
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ReplyDeleteI didn't really care for the story that much. I played High School Football in a town were things shut down on Friday nights, so that much was relate-able and interesting. It just seemed to me like the story had a complete lack of character development. The anthropomorphisizing of the "Coyote" and "Bunny" characters from Native American Mythology was cool, but there really didn't seem to be much of a story beyond a copy-and-pate retelling of the myth in a high school setting.
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