Tigers, Bears, Power, and Primitivism
Date
2-18-2025
Faculty Mentor
Teresa Reed, English
Files
Submission Type
Conference Proceeding
Location
1:30-1:40 pm | Houston Cole Library, 11th Floor
Description
Please note: no video is available for this presentation.
The idea of the Grotesque, described by Mikhail Bakhtin, is often characterized by a connection to nature and how the human body connects to the world. The philosophy of Primitivism is deeply flawed, especially in the way it deems so-called “uncivilized” societies as helpless and “savage.” Despite this, its focus on the benefit of man’s connection to nature is helpful and prevalent. Combining and simultaneously analyzing these ideas provides a deeper perspective when analyzing animal symbolism in literature. In Oroonoko by Aphra Behn, Oroonoko’s autonomy is physically cut off, much like the tiger he hunts, symbolising the needless and cruel mistreatment Oroonoko experiences while foreshadowing his fate. In “The She-bear” by Giambattista Basile, Preziosa’s autonomy is also stolen. The bear form acts similarly to the tiger. By analyzing the newfound power gained from her bear form (and considering a more modern example of the empowerment it brings), the significance of the connections she makes as the bear can be further appreciated. This paper focuses on these characters’ lack of autonomy in their lives and circumstances and how their stories’ animal symbolism impact and foreshadow their fates.
Keywords
student research, English
Rights
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Disciplines
Modern Literature
Recommended Citation
Thompson, Juliana, "Tigers, Bears, Power, and Primitivism" (2025). JSU Student Symposium 2025. 43.
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/ce_jsustudentsymp_2025/43
