Tranquility can become Disaster. David Bowie as a Modern Trickster

This short essay analyses the British artist David Bowie as a modern trickster. Throughout his career, Bowie has changed personas and played with sexual orientation. In general, he has deconstructed many stereotypes.

William Hynes argues, “the sheer richness of trickster phenomena can easily lead to conclude that the trickster is indefinable. In fact, to define is to draw borders around phenomena, and tricksters seem amazingly resistant to such capture; they are notorious border breakers” (Hynes 33). This description perfectly matches the gender-bender David Bowie who reinvented himself over and over, and who constantly changed his personas as soon as the critics thought they had gotten a hold of him and thus defining him as a trickster who plays with expectations is a worthwhile thought to follow.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• David Bowie's Ambivalence
• Ziggy Stardust: A Transgressive Persona
• The Trickster's Inversion of Order
• The Innovator and the Thief
• Bowie's Carnival of Music
• Liminality: The Marginal Status of Celebrity
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This text aims to explore the life and career of David Bowie through the lens of the trickster archetype. It analyzes how Bowie's music, performances, and persona embodied key aspects of the trickster, such as ambivalence, transgression, and liminality.

• David Bowie's Ambivalence and Transformation
• The Trickster's Role in Challenging Norms
• David Bowie's Ambiguous and Playful Relationship with Musical Trends
• The Liminality of Celebrity and its Impact on Bowie's Life
• The Relationship Between Music, Performance, and the Trickster Archetype

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• The introduction sets the stage by introducing the concept of the trickster archetype and its relevance to David Bowie's career.
• Chapter 2 explores Bowie's inherent ambivalence, highlighting his talent for transformation and his willingness to challenge societal expectations.
• Chapter 3 delves into Bowie's most famous persona, Ziggy Stardust, analyzing its transgressive nature and its impact on gender norms.
• Chapter 4 discusses how Bowie embodies the trickster's ability to invert societal order, blurring boundaries between different categories.
• Chapter 5 examines Bowie's relationship with musical trends, showcasing his ability to both innovate and borrow from others.
• Chapter 6 discusses the performance of Bowie's music as an art form, highlighting the importance of his playful and sometimes scandalous behavior.
• Chapter 7 explores the liminal nature of celebrity and its impact on Bowie's personal life, including his struggles with drug addiction.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This text explores the themes of the trickster archetype, ambivalence, transgression, liminality, musical innovation, celebrity, and the relationship between music and performance. It focuses on David Bowie's career, highlighting his persona, performances, and music in relation to these concepts.

Details

• College: University of Colorado at Boulder (GSLL)
• Grade: 1
• Author: Daniela Faerber (Author)
• Publication Year: 2010
• Pages: 6
• Catalog Number: V308365
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668066182
• ISBN (Book): 9783668066199
• Language: English
• Tags: Trickster Russian Literature David Bowie