Why is it called Brer Rabbit?

Brer Rabbit, trickster figure originating in African folklore and transmitted by African slaves to the New World, where it acquired attributes of similar native American tricksters (see trickster tale); Brer, or Brother, Rabbit was popularized in the United States in the stories of Joel Chandler Harris (1848–1908).

What does Brer Rabbit symbolize?

Clearly, Brer Rabbit is the enslaved African American’s alter ego and trickster-hero, and the so-called stronger animals represent the white enslavers. On deeper rhetorical, symbolical, and archetypal levels, Uncle Remus’s role is to initiate his young white listener into the complex realities of adult life.

What were the Brer Rabbit stories really about?

Key Themes and Symbols. The stories of Brer Rabbit are generally trickster tales and involve Brer Rabbit getting himself into trouble through his own selfishness or mischievous nature. He must then use his cleverness to get himself out of trouble.

What is Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby about?

An archetypal trickster tale, the tar baby story describes how a fox entraps a rabbit by using a tar figure. The rabbit gets stuck to it in five places – front and hind feet and head – after mistaking it for a real person and pummeling it for not replying to his polite greetings.

What story is Brer Fox from?

The wonderful tar baby story, and brer Fox and the briar patch, both by Joel Chandler Harris (Uncle Remus)

What is the moral of Brer Rabbit?

Br’er Rabbit is showing us that if we’re not strong we better be smart. He got himself into this pickle but is clever enough to see that fighting the situation will only make matters worse. He will only get more tar on him and Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear are so much stronger.

What does the African American folklore story of Brer Rabbit reveal about life for those who were enslaved?

What does the African American folklore story of “Brer Rabbit” reveal about life for those who were enslaved? African Americans devised ingenious ways of resisting their confinement by forging their own sense of community and inventing stories of resistance.

How did Brer Rabbit trick Brer Fox?

Using rhyming couplets, Brer Rabbit tricks Brer Fox into going down the well. The rhyming makes it fun and easy for children to memorize. Once again, Brer Rabbit uses his cunning to get himself out of trouble.

Who threw Brer Rabbit into the briar patch?

Br’er Fox wanted to hurt Br’er Rabbit as bad as he could, so he took Br’er Rabbit by the legs and threw him right smack into the middle of that briar patch. He heard a lot of rustling and crackling when Br’er Rabbit landed, and he waited around to see what terrible thing was going to happen.

Where does Brer Rabbit live?

Br’er Rabbit /ˈbrɛər/ (an abbreviation of Brother Rabbit, also spelled Brer Rabbit) is a central figure in an oral tradition passed down by African-Americans of the Southern United States and African descendants in the Caribbean, notably Afro-Bahamians and Turks and Caicos Islanders.

What happens to Brer Rabbit at the end of the Tar Baby story?

“It’s not going to be much fun skinning you,” said Brer Fox, “you’re not scared of that. But you are scared of the briar patch.” And with that, Brer Fox yanked Brer Rabbit off the Tar-Baby, and he flung him -KERPLUNK!- right into the briar patch.

What kind of animal is Brer Rabbit?

Brer Rabbit, trickster figure originating in African folklore and transmitted by African slaves to the New World, where it acquired attributes of similar native American tricksters ( see trickster tale ); Brer, or Brother, Rabbit was popularized in the United States in the stories of Joel Chandler Harris (1848–1908).

What is the main idea of Brer Rabbit?

The character’s adventures embody an idea considered to be a universal creation among oppressed peoples—that a small, weak, but ingenious force can overcome a larger, stronger, but dull-witted power. Brer Rabbit continually outsmarts his bigger animal associates, Brer Fox, Brer Wolf, and Brer Bear.

Who voices Br’er Rabbit in the Disney movies?

The character of Br’er Rabbit was voiced by Johnny Lee in the film, and was portrayed as more of a “lovable trickster” than previous tales. Disney comics starring that version of Br’er Rabbit have been produced since 1946.

Who wrote the story Br’er Rabbit?

Stories of Br’er Rabbit were written down by Robert Roosevelt, an uncle of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt wrote in his autobiography about his aunt from Georgia that “she knew all the ‘Br’er Rabbit’ stories, and I was brought up on them.