Definition

Proper noun * A fictional character: Uncle Remus is the fictional narrator and central character in a collection of African-American folktales. These stories, written in a literary representation of Black Vernacular English, are primarily set on Southern plantations in the 19th-century United States.

Usage

• As a character name: The name "Uncle Remus" is used specifically to refer to this literary creation.
  • The stories are told from the perspective of Uncle Remus.
  • Joel Chandler Harris created the character of Uncle Remus.

Advanced Usage

• Cultural and literary context: The "Uncle Remus" stories are significant in American folklore and literary history. They preserved and popularized tales featuring animal trickster figures like Br'er Rabbit, which have roots in African folklore. However, the character and the works are also subjects of critical discussion regarding their portrayal of dialect, their plantation setting, and their use of racial stereotypes from the post-Civil War era.

Variants and Related Words

• Br'er Rabbit: The clever rabbit who is the main protagonist in many of Uncle Remus's tales.
• Br'er Fox: The rabbit's frequent rival and antagonist in the stories.
• Joel Chandler Harris: The white American journalist and folklorist who compiled, adapted, and published the Uncle Remus stories.

Synonyms

• Storyteller (general term)
• Narrator (general term)

Note: There are no direct synonyms for this specific, named fictional character.

Noun

1. the fictional storyteller of tales written in the Black Vernacular and set in the South; the tales were first collected and published in book form in 1880