This book analyzes and offers fresh insights into the trickster tradition including African American, American Indian, Euro-American, Asian American, and Latino/a stories, Morgan examines the oral roots of each racial/ethnic group to reveal how each group's history, frustrations, and aspirations have molded the tradition in contemporary literature.

The Trickster Figure in American Literature provides a new framework to look at the richness that is American literature and culture. Trickster stories allow readers to experience vicariously another culture's deepest discontent. They supply a laugh but more importantly, their stories reflect contemporary dilemmas being played out in fiction. Using the trickster figure as an entry-point into African American, American Indian, Euro-American, Asian American, and Latino/a stories, Winifred Morgan examines the oral roots of each racial/ethnic group to reveal how each group's history, frustrations, and aspirations have molded the tradition. Ultimately, this compelling study shows that in a country such as the United States of America, tricksters remind listeners and readers that the ideals espoused by the law and traditions have not been achieved.