The Tall Tale in American Folklore and Literature

by Carolyn S. Brown

Book Overview

To Carolyn Brown s mind, the tall tale is not necessarily an account of the adventures of a larger-than-life hero, nor is it just a humorous first-person narrative exaggerated to outlandish proportions. It is as well an interaction between teller and audience a game played at the hazy border between the credible and the incredible, a challenge and an entertainment at the same time. The tall tale is also a social statement that identifies and binds a folk group by flaunting the peculiar knowledge and experiences of group members, and it is a tool for coping with a stressful or even chaotic world, for conquering life s problems by laughing at them.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870495291
• ISBN13: 9780870495298
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: University of Tennessee Press
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.