Jack and his masters: Real worlds and tale worlds in Newfoundland folktales

This essay argues that the male-centered Marchen of Halpert and Widdowson's Folktales of Newfoundland offer models of behavior for young working-class men, particularly int heir relationships with employers. Close reading of the tales shows them to be lessons in life as seen from the perspective of a subordinated social class; they tell young men 'how to be' in order to ge t employment and protect themselves from exploitation. Advice is also given regarding whom to trust and how to conduct love relationships. A further c onclusion of the study is that for a quintessentially maritime culture, New foundland's magic tales refer surprisingly often to an agricultural world a s their implicit background. It is suggested that this reflects a continuit y of culture between Newfoundland and the areas in southeast Ireland and so uthwest England from which its settlers came. The transference of working-c lass modes of self-presentation from the West of England to Newfoundland is argued on the basis of personal fieldwork and published literature.