The Real Breakdown

Oral stories are some of the most exhilarating in the story telling art! "Tetiyette and the Devil" is no exception. The author, or speaker rather, conveys a heartfelt message to families and especially young adult woman with suitors hot on their tail. We know this is the audience because it's about a young woman with relationship problems. Young men wouldn't really be the receiver of these kinds of stories. The story isn't told from one particular point of view, but it mainly follows the tumultuous adventures of young Tetiyette, who makes quick and rash decisions against her families wishes. The author ultimately wants these women to take a step back from physical reality and think objectively about people and their intentions. Just because it glitters, doesn't mean it's gold. Sadly, I feel like the moral of the story gets muddied up at the end when Tetiyette doesn't get punished for her disobedience. To me, it's teaching that even if you make mistakes, that someone will always be there to bail you out. Saying that with honesty is arrogant at best and extremely disingenuous at worst. It's hard to point to a specific quote that illustrates this, but the point can be conveyed none the less. It's where she calls to her family for help and her parents refuse but her brother responds. That's nice and all but I don't think that helps her learn her lesson. Her parents chose not to help her for a reason, because of her arrogance/ disobedience. To me, she ultimately never learns what she's supposed to, and that takes a toll on the karmic cycle.