Old Master
Old Master is a recurring character in African American folklore, particularly in the 'trickster slave' narrative cycle. He is the plantation owner (the enslaver) whom clever enslaved protagonists consistently outwit. These stories — collected by Zora Neale Hurston, Julius Lester, and others — portray Old Master not as a benign paternalist but as a figure of arbitrary power who is repeatedly humiliated by the intelligence and wit of those he considers his inferiors. In these tales, the enslaved trickster (often named John or Jack) uses reverse psychology, false deference, and clever wordplay t