Explanation Of Man's Fear Of Wolves Wolf example essay topic

Christian Morgan English 112 Dr. Levinson-Brubaker 11 December 2000 Why Are We Afraid of Them? : An Explanation of Man's Fear of Wolves Wolf! What is the first thought that enters one's mind upon the utterance of that word? More than likely it is the image of a hairy, razor-sharp toothed beast awaiting the thrill of its next merciless kill. Unfortunately, this stereotypical image has been embalmed within the human psyche of the Western civilization for hundreds of years.

Most have never even seen a wolf, yet human's fear of the animal is seemingly as natural as being afraid of the dark. Might these fears be caused by the mind's interpretation of the literature and stories that have been told over the centuries? For hundreds of years, the wolf has been greatly mischaracterize d and it is time to put these out-dated notions to rest. Writings depicting wolves as evil creatures are present in every era of history and began very long ago. As far back as 500 BC, the Greek fabulist Aesop often used wolves as characters in his short stories that are today known as Aesop's Fables. Colette Palamar, a researcher at the University of Idaho, indicates that the animal characters in the fables symbolically represent different values and attitudes, and Aesop uses them to deliver some type of ethical advice or moral (1).

Unfortunately for the wolf, "In Aesop's fables, we saw the wolf portrayed as a wild, boundless animal who is a conniving, tricky, sneaky thief and killer" (Palamar 3). Although the intent of his stories was to give people ethical advice, his goal was achieved at the expense of the wolf's reputation and influenced people to believe that wolves were horrible creatures. The way that the wolf is portrayed in mythology and fairy tales effected people's impression of the animals. R.D. Lawerence points out how Germanic Norse mythology tells the story an enormous wolf named Fenris, who was the first son of the satanic overlord Loki (122). The legend of Fenris states that", [he] was so large that when he opened his mouth his jaws stretched from earth to heaven" (Todd 1).

As the legend goes, he "devoured several hundred people before the gods were able to chain him". (Lawerence 122) This 1000-year-old German legend tells us that the wolf eats people mercilessly and is a satanic offspring of the devil. Take also into consideration the widely popular fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood". R.D. Lawerence states that, "The story of Little Red Riding Hood perpetuates a number of myths about wolves" (120). Palamar would agree with this statement about "Little Red Riding Hood" as she feels that in the popular fairy tale, "The wolf is portrayed as a tempting, greedy, deceptive killer and eater of small children and old women" (4). People that read these stories were entertained or got the point of the story but they were left with a completely inaccurate impression of the wolf. In recent years the research of numerous scientists, researchers, and environ men-ta lists reveals that wolves are in fact nothing like the vicious creatures that they have for so long been portrayed to be.

Farley Mowatt was a biologist employed by the Canadian Government to study wolves and caribou in the Keewatin and northern Manitoba for two summers and a winter (Mowatt, preface: v). In his book Never Cry Wolf, Mowat documents his observations and experiences with the wolves and he points out how, "The wolf never kills for fun, which is probably one of the main differences distinguishing him from man" (136). This factual discovery of Mowat's shows that wolves are the complete opposite of the way they are portrayed in stories and legends. Palamar, commenting on Never Cry Wolf, notices how, "Mowat subsequently came to see that these myths about wolves as bloodthirsty creatures bore little resemblance to reality" (Palamar 2).

Film-documentarian's, Jim and Jamie Dutcher, videotaped and audio recorded the lives of 10 gray wolves in Idaho for six years (ENN 1). In an on-line review of the film by ENN, we are told how, "Capturing for the first time the intricacies, affections, and strong bonds inherent in pack behavior, the Dutcher disprove the animal's vicious reputation of indiscriminate predator" (1). The video gives people for the first time a look at the true side of the wolf. Talking about the goal of the video, Jim Dutcher told ENN that, "by showing the wolf as a family member with strong bonds to it's brothers and sisters, we hope to take people beyond the myth and fallacy that has surrounded the animals for hundreds of years to this day" (3). Capturing on film what a loving and compassionate animal the wolf really is, the video gives documented evidence of how the wolf is nothing like the way they are portrayed in the myths and stories. Wolves deserve the respect that they have been forsaken for so many years.

It is time for man to realize these creatures for what they really are, and stop forming their opinions solely based on old stories. We have learned from Farley Mowatt that, "the wolf serves a vital role in maintaining the long-term well-being of its prey species, is not a threat to human beings, is responsible for only minor losses of human stock, and for the most part will not even live in proximity to human settlements or agricultural enterprises" (Mowat preface: vii). It is time for people to understand the real wolf and stop judging them on the basis of ancient, inaccurate stories. Christian Morgan 10-27-00

Bibliography

Bangs, Ed. "Bringing Wolves Home". Interview. By Nova On-Line. PBS on-line. Oct. 2000.
WGBH Educational Foundation. 10/25/00 web / nova / nova copyright. html Lawrence, R.D. Trail of the Wolf Pennsylvania: Rodale Press, 1993 Mowat, Farley.
Never Cry Wolf Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1963 Savage, Candace.
The World of the Wolf Vancouver: Greystone Books, 1996.