King and Robinson both use a much more prominent storyteller voice to tell their stories, rife with repetition, when compared to western literature. However, the structure of Robinson’s tale almost begs for it to be read aloud. The strange grammar, the short sentences or sentence fragments, as well as the physical appearance of the line breaks creates a chaotic and difficult to follow style of communication. When I tried to read it silently in my head, I found it nearly impossible to understand. Reading aloud allows you to experience the story with another sense, so I tried that. When I read it aloud to myself, it was far easier to follow what was happening, and the significance of certain lines. I connected with the piece far more than if I had merely read it in my head.
King, on the other hand, uses the storytelling voice in a friendlier way. Instead of having to almost battle with the language, King’s storyteller voice blends smoothly with the more traditionally western style sections. Green Grass, Running Water seems to be a reconciliation of styles, in the alternating narrative voices, although it is important to recognize the influence of the oral storytelling notes in the more western sections, particularly the repetition in the dialogue between characters.
The presence of the Christian God differs in each narrative. In Robinson’s tale, God is an influence on the world through the messages of an Angel. His only act in this story is to tell Coyote to go make a deal with the King of England, and the Angel speaks in the same grammar pattern as the rest of the narrative style. In King’s story, Coyote is the one that creates God, and God is a rather ridiculous creature that starts out as a Dream. This Dream becomes a Dog with ambition, and then God. Once established as God, He becomes rather distant and aloof, much like the God in Robinson’s tale, but without that Angel to create a further degree of separation.
The Coyotes in each tale are recognizable as the powerful trickster, playing with humans. A fog surrounds Robinson’s Coyote whenever people try to come and take pictures of him. King’s Coyote is revealed (spoiler alert!) is have caused Alberta’s pregnancy, because she wanted a baby but not the hassle of a man.
However, once again, King’s characterization of Coyote is more playful than Robinson’s. Robinson casts Coyote more along the lines of a clever force to be reckoned with. This matches his more solemn version of God, and the overall focus of his piece. King takes a different approach, presenting primarily his fun-loving and chaotic energy. Coyote forgets the consequences of his actions, and several times accidentally creates something: whether that be the Dog-turned-God, a thunderstorm, or perhaps the flood at the end.
For each writer, their portrayals of God and Coyote are to create the specific tone of their work, and to complement the story each is telling. Robinson is telling a story of the origin of “Black and White” law, Indian and European relations. King is telling a story connecting the present to the past, weaving Christian and Indigenous creation myths into the fabric of a story about coming home for the Sun Dance.
WORKS CITED
“Reading Aloud.” The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill. Web. 31 Oct 2016.
Allen, Peter J and Saudners, Chas. “Coyote.” Godchecker. 25 March 2013. Web. 31 Oct 2016.
Hi Madelaine!
I enjoyed reading your post because I found it different from my answer to this question in how you bring attention to certain aspects of the stories that I did not. I was drawn to the ending of your post where you talk about how different portrayals of God and Coyote create a different tone and meaning in a piece. I completely agree with you. I was also drawn to the beginning of your post where you talk about your different reading experiences with Robinson’s and King’s stories. I also had to read Robinson’s story aloud to follow along with it, and I found it helped me with King’s story as well. Did you happen to try reading King’s story aloud as well or no? I think that reading aloud helped me to engage with the story more and I felt like it was more powerful when I did this than when I just read in my head. I feel like reading a story aloud can change the way it is perceived. Do you think that oral stories lose something when they are translated into a text? Or perhaps do you think that certain writers can evoke feelings in their writing so that even if a story is read in the mind it can still have a large impact?
Thank-you for your post Madelaine!
– Chloë
Hey Chloe! I didn’t actually try reading King’s story aloud, since I found it more palatable than Robinson’s anyway, and therefore I could understand it when just reading silently. I think I’ll go back and see what changes when I read it aloud, though, that’s a good idea!
I agree that when oral stories are written down, they lose that performative aspect, but there are certain situations where that component can be reintroduced to the telling. Theatre and scripts demonstrate this already, so I think it can also be done with these oral tales as well.
There’s a significant difference between oral and literate stories, and the way them impact their audience. I don’t think that one is less influential than the other, though, just that they do different things.
Thanks for your comment!
Madelaine
Hello Madeleine,
Excellent post! It made me think of another blog I read that mentioned how the Coyote figure in both of these stories was characterized as being a complex character as opposed to something that is more one-dimensional. With your post, and how you pointed out how different the style is between these two storytellers, I am noticing how they are both able to create uniquely complex characters despite having such vastly different writing styles.
Furthermore, it has made me think of storytelling in general and how accessible it is. Though we are looking at two examples of excellent storytellers, the fact that they are able to achieve similar effects with different techniques in styles, suggests that this is possible for everyone. Storytelling becomes accessible through this fact because anyone can tell their story in whichever way they wish to tell it.
Do you have any thoughts on this? I might be overly optimistic on this one!
Hope Prince