Example Of A Coyote Columbus Story Literature Review

A Coyote Columbus story is authored by Thomas King a renowned Native American writer. This story is a masterpiece in terms of its content, delivery, and the use of literary devices to build humor among its readers. This piece is centered on the Coyote who is the protagonist in the plot of this story. King paints Coyote as being a trickster who uses his sly ways to gain control of the world. Other characters in the plot of the story do not have wit that is comparable to that of Coyote. Therefore, the Coyote uses his ability to take advantage of the other characters to build up both wealth and political power.
However, the successes of the Coyote are short-lived after the emergence of a new character in the plot of the story. King describes this character as being a “funny looking stranger.” The name of the new character is Columbus. Despite the slyness of Coyote, the Columbus wit surpasses Coyote’s. Columbus is not happy about the successes that Coyote and his counterparts have made within their territory. Key among Columbus’ concern is the material wealth that Coyote possessed. Some of the kind wealth that Coyote possessed included; beavers, moose, and turtles. Undeterred by Coyotes wealth and power Columbus capitalizes on his entrepreneurial skills. Instead of focusing on material goods for trade, Columbus begins a rather cruel business of selling humans to Spain. King’s structures his plot in such a way that it is due to Columbus that the rest of his society and fellow humans fall to be prey of the Spanish crown and their eventual colonization by the Spanish empire. The unwitty strategy of Coyote makes him to fall for the manipulations of Columbus and therefore leads to the predicaments of his fellow human beings. This is a key source of humor for the readers of this story. Therefore King uses a mythical take to explain the dynamics that led to Conquest of Latin America by the Spanish.