An interesting aspect of Eden Robinson’s Trickster Series are the italicized chapters that feature an omniscient voice which speaks directly to the reader. These chapters are infrequent in relation to the overall story trajectory but they operate as a sensory pause form the third-person narrative that focuses on Jared’s story. In this reflection, I will be looking at the purpose and intention of these chapters and how they break the fourth wall between the reader and the story that Robinson is weaving within her books. I believe the intention of these chapters is to peel back the surface of the linear narrative to reveal the worlds in-between the facade of a human-driven society that has forgotten the cultural stories, mythologies, spiritualities and figures that are woven into the territorial histories of the Pacific NorthWest.
In Son of Trickster, there are four chapters that contain this particular “voice”. Chapter 2 entitled “Simultaneousity” follows the introduction of Jared and invites the reader to consider how the element of magic and supernatural ability is “the realization that all time exists simultaneously” (15). The voice asks the reader to meditate on the idea that every living creature is the product of a dying star, “Deep down, we remember wriggling through the universe as beams of light” (15). The description of ‘wriggling’ alludes to struggle, physical ineptitude, worms or small creatures that cannot move through space with particular grace -- there is a humility to this chapter that speaks to beings (human, animal, or otherwise) as starlight but not as ‘god-like’ or as experts in technological engineering. The next introduction of this voice is “Requiem for the Trilobites”, worth noting that a trilobite is an extinct marine-life and this chapter speaks to their humble origin and decision to remain underwater without considerable evolution of their form (91). The tone of this chapter is steeped in dry-humour as it begins with an absurdist reference to the trilobites grabbing a Starbucks before heading to work, an action considered to be a human practice in a contemporary urban society (91). The voice speaks to the existence of creatures 252 million years ago, the Pangea continent is on the cusp of breaking and the Permian era is set to begin which will result in mass extinction of many species but specifically, this would be the end of the trilobites. The chapter ends with the musing, “Mass extinction sucks” — A humorous truth which may resonate differently with Indigenous readers (92) This chapter indicates the voice as omniscient, something that is able to see the world and universe with a micro/macro effect, a perspective that has endured time and compares generations and aeons against each other while simultaneously referring to pop culture. This intentional accordion effect with time is worth reflecting on.
The next chapter is titled, “The Human Manual” and the voice walks us through a perspective of humans that cites the undeniable force of imagination and spirit while also noting that despite biological achievement and consciousness that humanity is still “unable to walk a couple of steps to put our water bottle in the recycling bin” (158). In the previous chapter, the voice uses “they” to speak of the trilobites but in this chapter the voice uses “we”-statements and enlists the reader to consider that not all beings with human faces should be considered human. In this statement, the voice speaks of universes and worlds within human bodies: “But come closer and let me speak to the creatures that swim in your ancient oceans, the old ones that sing to you in your dreams” (159). When first reading Son of a Trickster, the voice was not clear to me and I wondered whether it was intended to be Robinson’s voice permeating through as narrator. There is a tone and humour that is reminiscent of Thomas King but also the voice that Robinson uses when describing cultural protocol and inclusion in fiction in the essay, The Sasquatch at Home. It’s a voice that speaks with authority and confidence that interjects through Jared’s narrative to offer definitive truth of the “bigger picture” of the novel.
The last chapter is titled “The Universe is a Lonely Hunter” and it discusses the expansiveness of time and the ability to travel between multi-dimensions. It compares a mortal being shifting through dimensions like “pouring a glass of apple juice into the ocean” citing the dangers of obliteration through multi-dimensional travels and ends on the conclusion that the only entity capable of this is, “a Trickster” (222). Upon arrival of this understanding that the voice is likely Wee’git’s, the previous chapters are worth of closer inspection. What kind of blind faith did the reader prescribe in this information? Did the reader believe the veracity of these short bits of text or did the reader approach these chapters with skepticism? Reflecting on how one related personally to these chapters is crucial to understanding how these chapters function in the next novel, Trickster Drift.
In the first book, the reader follows a linear plot that adheres strictly to Jared’s experiences through a limited third-person narrative, the reader remembers experiences with Jared has but is not extracted from the immediate time frame nor do we visit the perspectives of other character’s throughout the story. This causes the omniscient chapters to stand out in style and form. Additionally, the tone of the chapters utilize dry humour and sarcasm which compels the reader to understand this voice as someone “in on the joke” and as human. However, the end of Son of the Trickster alludes to this voice being someone different, someone not human and perhaps, someone not entirely trustworthy? The emphasis on “we” statements in the third chapter suggested that the voice was human but by the fourth chapter, the voice seems to be hinting to the reader that not all entities that wear a “human face” are necessarily human (221). “Faces” and “facades” play a necessary function within this textual experience which helps confirm that the omniscient chapters are the voice of Wee’git.
In Robinson’s next novel Trickster Drift, the reader’s first interaction with this “narrator” voice is “A Brief Overview of Vancouver” which gives a local perspective of Vancouver down to the East Van “swagger” of Commercial Drive (35). As a local resident of this city and the specific neighbourhood of Commercial Drive, this chapter offers a local summary of the distinct and diverse neighbourhoods that make up Vancouver. The next omniscient chapter is titled “Dolphin World” which is only a page in length and speaks to another world where dolphins thrive in a world that suits their unique habits of echolocation and sleeplessness: “ Dolphins never truly sleep, so their cities never rest, an unending overture, a polyphony that shifts in and out of a hundred thousand melodies'' (84). This chapter, while short, suggests the existence of multiple universes existing within different aspects of time which is an important aspect to consider in relation to how the chapters are functioning. Next up is “Spook” which asks the reader to consider the life of a leaf before deep-diving into the biology and physics of photosynthesis and the science behind the speed of light and quantum physics. This chapter occurs in the middle of Jared’s stay at Mave’s apartment while he attends BCIT to finalize his highschool course requirements, where Jared explicitly struggles with his biology and physics homework (209-210). There is a reiterated emphasis of the multi-dimensional worlds that co-exist within the present world that Jared lives within. The reference to quantum physics is also a consideration of “time-travelling” protons and how objects and beings that cannot be understood by science is considered to be “magic” (186).
Which brings us to the essential chapter “When Furry Aquatic Rodents Ruled Turtle Island”. The narrator shares a story regarding beavers, it speaks to how “a fad for furry hats in Europe caused the near extinction of beavers in North America” (288). The voice shares that while “beavers have the ability to transform, they have no interest in shape-shifting to exact guerrilla retribution” (289). This contentment in their physical form and survival practice calls-back to the story shared in “Requiem for the Trilobites”, the trilobites did not wish to evolve or take advantage of changing their circumstances by adapting to living on land or beyond their known environment while the beavers do not wish to shape shift to influence change or revenge on humanity. What’s especially note-worthy is that this chapter is the first time that the narrator is interrupted by the creatures it describes, a beaver responds to the “voice” by stating “‘The Creator bid us build, so we build” and his companion warns “‘Don’t encourage the damn Trickster...Just ignore him until he goes away’” (289). This provokes an interesting use of breaking the fourth wall. Firstly, the voice in these omniscient chapters are breaking out of the linear narrative about Jared to access the world beyond the pages to speak directly to the reader which is an interesting structure to depict multiple universes and the ability to travel between them. Secondly, within this contained chapter, the voice’s control of the story is disrupted by the beavers which gain agency by talking back to the narrator. In terms of a literary device, I believe that this causes the reader to witness the push and pull of a world cracking open and to sense some of the complexity of seeing, believing or perceiving the different realities which is alluded to in many of these chapters. The closing lines has the narrator cheekily regaining authority of the story by reverting their voice to an omniscient perspective speaking only to the reader “Such strength. So noble. The noble beaver” with the beaver retorting “I’m this close to slapping you” indicating that the beavers are fully aware of the presence and manipulation of the Trickster’s narration (289).
This chapter ensures that the reader knows the the “narrator” is most definitely Wee’git, secondly it may cause the reader to reflect on how these chapter may necessitate more skepticism or reflection before believing these stories at face-value. This literary shift in voice and the related authority of the narrator is spoken about by Thomas King who speaks specifically about the different tones used in Christian and Indigenous creation stories: “In the Christian story, I tried to maintain a sense of rhetorical distance and decorum while organizing the story for a knowledgeable gathering. These strategies colour the stories and suggest values that may be neither inherent nor warranted. In the Native story, the conversational voice tends to highlight the exuberance of the story but diminishes its authority, while the sober voice in the Christian story makes for a formal recitation but creates a sense of veracity“ (22-23).
King’s reflection on these differences causes me to think more deeply about the tone used within the Wee’git chapters in the Trickster series. My focus has been on the difference of tone between the narration of Jared’s immediate experiences and the dry humour in these omniscient chapters. But I think there is a greater complexity in how Robinson has strategically uses a voice that paints a picture that, as King states, “creates a sense of veracity”. Despite my earlier statement about how the reader may wish to use skepticism or further reflection when reading the omniscient chapters. It’s not so much that the Trickster chapters are false or absent of meaning, instead, it reminds the reader to be vigilant and attentive of the information they receive as all-encompassing truths. Robinson has used storytelling as a form to encapsulate universes within her text allowing Trickster to exist within Jared’s sphere but also within a very specific sphere that has direct access to the reader. This occurs through the transition of third-person narrative and the omniscient narrative, this friction invites speculation as to how these voices convey information regarding Jared but also the universe(s) within this story. This type of storytelling is intriguing to me and reflects the nature of oral storytelling, the live interaction between the beavers and Wee’git but also the liveliness of the narrator and the role they play in bringing a story and distinct perspective to life. Returning to the notion of creation stories, Leanne Betasamoke Simpson also speaks to the aesthetic of repetition: “We hear variations of the same creation story for our entire lives, and we are expected to find meaning in it at every stage of life, whether that is literal (when we are kids), metaphorical, conceptual, or within the constellation of our collective oral traditions or that meaning comes from lived experiences” (200). Attentiveness is key with how one interprets stories and the meaning woven within them, stories shift and change depending on the narrator or storyteller and based on the personal instance of the listener. Perhaps it’s worth reflecting on ambivalent listening or ambivalent reading, to presume understanding or to blindly follow the words and authority of a creation story is incongruent to the purpose Indigenous creation stories. The necessity to question, reflect and critique the actions of a story are some of the ways in which a listener/reader remains active in the nature of narratives.
The final chapter in Trickster Drift is titled “The Rupture” -- which I read as an intentional reference to The Rapture -- it speaks of monumental impacts of tectonic plates shifting and the residual aftermath of earthquakes. Again the reader can see the micro- and macro- examination of the world in these chapters. The Trickster describes how a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in the year 1700 was known as the time when the “Thunderbird fought a whale that had become a monster” which resulted in a tidal wave that decimated the population and villages of many coastal people of the Pacific Northwest. Again, we witness a story of near extinction, of survival, and of death -- First, the chapter about the Trilobites and then the Beavers. These Trickster chapters offer a glimpse of something bigger than the realities that Jared is experiencing, it also slows the time of Jared’s narrative trajectory as the Trickster pauses to explain moments in time that have occurred over millions of years apart from one another. While the Trickster guides us to see the endings of many species, creatures and worlds, it’s also worth thinking about how every end is the beginning of something new and how it results in a cyclical aspect of how nature and the world regenerates itself. In this sense, I wonder how these chapters may be considered fragments of creation stories and I am very curious about how these chapters may function within the final book of this trilogy.
Works Cited:
King, Thomas. “‘You’ll Never Believe What Happened’ is Always a Great Way to Start”. The Truth about Stories. New York : House of Anansi Press, 2011. eBook. Accessed 8 Apr 2020.
Robinson, Eden. Son of a Trickster. Penguin Random House, 2017. Print.
Robinson, Eden. Trickster Drift. Penguin Random House, 2018. Print.
Simpson, Leanne. As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom Through Radical Resistance. Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2017. Print.