Introduction
Literary works such as folktales are often intended for a younger audience. Their main task is to provide a certain morality that can teach individuals important life lessons. However, most of these kinds of works are aimed at people of any age, as they can learn and learn something new at any age. Such instructive stories are creole folktales written by Patrick Chamoiseau, titled “A little matter of marriage,” “Lil fellow the musician,” “The person who bled hearts dry,” and “In the cutting of a drink.” The thesis of this work is the study of valuable social lessons that provide these creole folktales.
A Little Matter of Marriage
One of the lessons that this folktale teaches is that not everything is as it seems. Henceforth, one of the characters is a beautiful girl who is incredibly beautiful. It is underlined that “unfortunately, the beauty herself finally realized this and began putting on airs, sashaying her backbone around like a wriggling snake, so stuck-up her long eyelashes dripped with disdain” (Chamoiseau, 1994, p. 59). The realization of this fact made her very picky in choosing a future partner, and she rejected all men. One day, a beautiful man, a stranger, asked her to marry him, and she gave her consent. However, her ugly brother gave her a flower from his garden and told her to prick her betrothed. Furthermore, if something other than blood came out of the wound, she had to run away from him. Nevertheless, the girl was not alerted by the sight of a strange substance instead of blood. This shows that often love prevails over reason in people when they experience strong feelings. Thus, the lesson becomes that individuals should be more reasonable about their decisions regarding the choice of life companions.
Another lesson that can be highlighted from this story is the importance of choosing people to trust. So, the ugly boy was often neglected, and even his family members did not pay much attention to what he told them (Chamoiseau, 1994). At the same time, he tried to warn his sister about the danger that warns her when marrying a stranger. Moreover, when it became known that the girl had tied the knot with the Devil and the boy felt it, “his brothers would not desert their dreams” (p.65). This shows that the most valuable people in life are their loved ones. In addition, folktale teaches that you cannot trust individuals whom people have known for a short time and that you need to get well-acquired with strangers.
Lil Fellow the Musician
In the folktale “Lil fellow the musician,” a valuable lesson is provided from the very beginning, which should be learned by every person. Consequently, the author states that “it’s a fine thing to have self-confidence, but you mustn’t overdo it, because with too much confidence you can outsmart yourself.” (Chamoiseau, 1994, p. 43). Thus, in this story, the child has exceptional musical abilities, but he is unable to realize the downfall that happened to him. Furthermore, a valuable lesson becomes a sober and conscious attitude to the talents and unique characteristics that a person can be gifted with. This will allow you to realize not only the advantages but also the disadvantages of the personality.
In addition to the importance of self-awareness, one of the lessons is the importance of obedience. Henceforth, a little boy who “was only as old as one rainstorm and two mango seasons” (Chamoiseau, 1994, p. 44). However, the admiration he received for his music gave him excessive confidence. Therefore, when the boy’s parents, having gone to the forest with their son, warned him not to leave them, the little fellow disobeyed them. This was the result of the fact that he was eaten by a mystical seven-headed monster, and his music could not save him.
The Person who Bled Hearts Dry
“The person who bled hearts dry,” tells how the captain, transporting slaves, faced the problem that people on his ship began to die from an unknown disease. He decided to find out from one of the prisoners the reasons for this problem, to which the man replied that “the old woman with rings on her fingers is feeding herself that way” (Chamoiseau, 1994, p. 52). None of the people on the ship could remember how this mysterious woman got on board and who exchanged her and for what. Subsequently, it became a big mistake for the entire crew, as they continued to die. It can be assumed that this woman was the reason. Therefore, one of the lessons becomes the value of knowledge of one’s surroundings and what is happening around them. Thus, ignorance can cause problems in a person’s life.
The main social lesson that can be highlighted from this story is the provision of the negative impact of slavery on people. Hence, as already mentioned, the main events unfolded during the active sale of slaves. It can be concluded that the mysterious woman is a symbol of slavery and the issues it causes for society, in this case, the rotting of people from within. Moreover, after the murder of a woman, “she floated for one hundred and twenty-five years until her sea-change into a tragedy of coral that horrors medusas” (Chamoiseau, 1994, p. 53). This line shows a valuable lesson that despite the fact that slavery was abolished, its roots have sprouted strongly in society, leaving a significant imprint on people.
In the Cutting of a Drink
This folktale raises the topic of generational relationships and how parents often take too much care of their children. The lesson that can be learned from this story is that it is important for adults to realize that their children will not always remain young. People grow, develop, leave their homes and make their own decisions. Hence, in the narrative, the brother told his mother and uncle how he was looking for his sister and how the mother was surprised that the girl could already be married. It is stated that “Duayaw told me that she is by now old enough to marry and to do something more than merely marry” (Chamoiseau, 1994, p. 71). This shows that it can often be difficult even for older siblings to realize the growing up of brothers or sisters. In this context, the author also shows that after finding his sister, the protagonist is first struck by the kind of her activity. However, when talking to his mother and uncle, he does not condemn the girl. He emphasizes that this is the choice of an adult woman, not the child they remember her with, and that work is work, as if to say that what is what it is.
Another social lesson is the awareness of differences in the traditions and way of life of people. Consequently, the main character and his tribe have certain prejudices about urban residents since he says, “do not say El’, Unde, it seems as if people do this thing in the city” (Chamoiseau, 1994, p. 71). Moreover, the young man was surprised that the girl, “the daughter of a woman,” drank beer on a par with men (Chamoiseau, 1994, p. 72). Thus, the author shows that the traditions and customs of the main protagonist are outdated in relation to the life that people lead in cities. Awareness of this fact becomes an important aspect of understanding human differences.
In conclusion, Patrick Chamoiseau, in his creole folktales, provides many valuable lessons that can be easily highlighted when reading. Each story has a valuable moral and provides insight into various aspects of people’s lives. This applies both to the relationship between parents and children and between other close relatives. Moreover, they teach you to be self-aware and understand the importance of trusting the right people. In addition, folktales show that there are many differences between people, the understanding and knowledge of which is critically important. Another lesson that is of critical importance was the provision of what negative effect slavery has on society. The author shows how this historical event has penetrated into the heart of society and has a special imprint. Thus, the folktales analyzed within the framework of this paper are relevant regardless of the time of their writing, as they provide valuable moral lessons that can be applied to modern society.
Reference
Chamoiseau, P. (1994). Creole folktales. New Press.