Oral Traditions

Paper Summary:

This paper that Thomas King is a Native American author; whereas, Alistair MacLeod is Scottish. The author compares their use of language, structure and the interaction of past and present. The paper relates that King's stories are based in Native oral tradition; however, MacLeod's fiction is about his family's mythic past.

From the Paper:

"Thomas King is a Native American whose stories are based in Native oral tradition, demonstrate great respect for elders, and illustrate the myths of his people. At the same time, King blends the current experience of his people into the narrative. Alistair MacLeod writes of his family's mythic past and his narrative, which also depends on oral tradition, moves between the past and present, with greater focus on his forefathers. This paper will compare and contrast the structure of King's One Good Story, That One with MacLeod's novel No Great Mischief to show that King's deceptively simple story is just as complex as the novel."

More papers on Oral Traditions:

• Term Paper # 138760 : "The Unifying Native-American Oral Tradition"
• Essay # 84277 : "Value of Oral Tradition"
• Essay # 73183 : "From Oral Tradition to Electronic"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: