Abstract
In this paper, I present an analysis of Neal Stephenson’s 1995 novel, The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Girl’s Primer, with a critical exploration of the trickster as a leitmotif distributed and discerned through the various dramatis personae and concepts explored in the fictional world of the novel. Theories central to cross-cultural studies of folk narratives and trickster-Hero(ine) mythologies frame a discussion on the value of complexity, multivocality and plurality in the analysis of myths. In the tradition of speculative fiction, Stephenson’s novel retains ambivalence towards the impact of near-future technologies, but also engenders discourse on issues of identity and sovereignty.
Recommended Citation
Guyker, Robert W. Jr. "Trickster(s) of Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age." Marvels & Tales 32.1 (2018). Web. <https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/marvels/vol32/iss1/6>.
