The “Sneaky Weasel” Archetype

1. The “Sneaky Weasel” Archetype Mr. Jones and Mr. Jones

2. Notes About Presentation Slides Remember: • You deliver the presentation (not your slides) • People listen to you. They won’t read paragraphs. • People like a bit of colour and design: it makes for a pleasant visual environment. • Too much “slide stuff” (multiple backgrounds, transitions, and noises) distracts in a big way

3. Bottom Line • Slides are there to back you up. • They reinforce your brilliant explanations • Don’t let your slides run the show.

4. Sneaky Weasel: Core Characteristics The sneaky weasel: • Is never fair to people, is always trying to get something from someone for nothing. • Usually uses some sort of deception to do so. These can further be broken down into: • Sad stories, • Cheque’s in the mail, • “Not what I asked for” • Sometimes gets away with it, sometimes is left with a life of pain (depending on the Gods)

5. Sneaky Weasel Archetype The sneaky weasel is an archetype that shows up in many mythological traditions: Greek Tradition: • Aeolus and the sneaky weasel whipped by the wind • Acheron’s nasty debt Native North American: • Crow takes Manitou for a ride • Crow and the “bad deer meat.” Norse Myth: • Erik plays Poker with Thor

6. Erik and the Poker Game Overview: • Erik has been winning a lot with normal humans, mostly by cheating. • Thinks he can beat Thor at poker. • Thor (god) knows all. Says game will be unfair but could use the money so agrees to game. • Lars plays looses his money in an hour, plays all night and looses his shirt. • Can’t pay back Thor. But will pay him after next fishing trip. • Fishing trip is massive success (Thor helps out). But Erik Lies to Thor though (no fish). • Says “next fishing trip.” • On next fishing trip Thor leaves Erik on a leaky boat, in perpetual rain with a skull for a bailer.

7. Sneaky Weasel in “Erik” Explanations Examples Lars: • Is something of a sneaky weasel already as he has been making money playing poker and cheating. • Uses a combination of “sad stories” and “cheque’s in the mail.” • Sad Stories: • “Doesn’t have the money.” (True) • No fish on last trip. (Total Lie!) • Cheque’s in the mail: • “Will pay next trip. (No Intention of Paying)

8. Crow Takes Manitou Provide context. What happens in the “Crow and Bad Deer Meat” story. A good Second example, would have different characteristics, but still illustrate the archetype: • Crow gets away with it, • Uses the “bad deer meat” argument (even though it is good) • Manitou notices Crow eating carrion months later. Notices this is actually what crow likes. • Tells crow he will never give him good meat again • Crow Doesn’t care

9. Similarities and Differences Again an effective slide here would show differences between stories, but then common elements. Differences: • Crow gets away with it, Erikdoesn’t. • Erikuses a combination of “sad stories” and “cheque’s in the mail.” Crow uses “not what I wanted.” Similarities (common elements): • Are both trying to take advantage of others • Both use forms of deception to do so.

10. Strategy What have I done? • Define the archetype listing characteristics For Each Story: • Described the story (context…provided basic plot information) • Explain how the archetype shows up in this story

11. Contemporary Example The “Sneaky Weasel” In “Ruthless People”

12. Overview of “Ruthless People” This movie is full of “sneaky weasel” characters doing “sneaky weasel” stuff. Here is only a small part: • A rich guy in the clothing business has married his wife for her dad’s fortune. • The dad keeps living though, and the wife doesn’t inherit his money. • The rich guy is going to bump his wife off but then finds out that she has been kidnapped. • He does everything possible to get the kidnappers to bump his wife off: • Tells the police • Doesn’t pay the ransom

13. “Ruthless People” cont’d • The problem is that the kidnappers are actually pretty nice people and can’t kill his wife • At the same time his wife is a really nasty, self-centred person as well and is driving the kidnappers nuts. • They eventually let his wife go because they can’t stand her. • He thinks she has died in a car crash (is actually one of the kidnappers that dies). (scene here) • But then she comes back…his worst nightmare.

14. Sneaky Weasel in “Ruthless People” • Is totally motivated by self interest: wants to kill his wife for money. • Is really deceptive as he tries to make it look like he is concerned about his wife but the whole time he is trying to get her killed.

15. How Sneaky Weasel Has Developed • The biggest shift is that these characters aren’t “gods.” They are normal people • If we are looking at the behaviour of archetypical characters, they appear in a more day to day setting. (would add a couple more points here)

16. Strategy • Began by working through the same process once again for more recent story: • Define (didn’t have to do that as I had already done it in previous section). • Outline plot of text. • Explain how character is a “sneaky weasel” • Conclude by outlining developments over time. Answer the key question (thinking question): How has this archetype developed/evolved over time?