St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” is a short story written by Karen Russell about a group of human daughters of werewolves who receive teachings from nuns on coping in the human world. The narrator, Claudette, adapt how to speak and use two feet, and she resents her older sister Jeanette, the fastest learner. Unfortunately, Mirabella, the youngest sister, cannot adjust and is forced to return to the woods as the only wolf-girl. This essay aims to provide a textual analysis of the narration to demonstrate how the girls and other characters are symbolic of immigration experiences and society rules.
The novel shows Claudette’s triumphs and problems and how the rules will help her become more human. The wolf-raised ladies were initially so close, but their togetherness eventually crumbled as each character identified as a unique entity rather than a single figure. This is evident in stage I, where everything is presented as new, thrilling, and engaging to the kids. Finally, the girls come together to create a new culture through three stages of the assimilation process, which the author illustrates by highlighting incidents in which the girls redefine themselves. At St. Lucy’s, Claudette truly adjusts to the human ways she learns. For instance, she constantly reminds herself of the tactics and instructions she has to follow to become human.
Furthermore, the introductory paragraphs emphasize the numerous problems that Claudette encounters due to her school journey’s cultural shock. For example, in stage two, pupils finally comprehend that they must be adaptable to adapt to the new culture. Adjusting to the changes can be stressful, and students should anticipate feeling disoriented. The author shows that the three wolf girls were quite uncomfortable during this stage and even attempted to flee, but they never found a safe spot to return to. During this time, the three of them spent a lot of time reflecting on the changes they were going through. For example, the narrator acknowledges that Jeanette had an ear for languages, implying that she could read. She is portrayed as the first to consume apple juice from a sippy cup (Russell,242).
Stage two’s emotions are not as exuberant as stage one’s, consisting primarily of despair, irritation, and perplexity. Similarly, the females have difficulty adjusting to English. Furthermore, the author draws a parallel through the narrator when she says, “The pack despised Jeanette” (Russell,242). The remark implies that the pack, particularly Jeanette, is standing out from the rest because she has evolved into a different person by outperforming everyone else. As a result, Jeanette is the pack’s oldest member, which may explain why she adjusts more quickly than the others. In stage 3, the girls begin to question why people in this new culture behave the way they do, and they may assume that their own culture is superior to the new one. However, in stages 4 and 5, the girls begin to feel more at ease in their new surroundings and can participate in both cultures.
The story’s stages illustrate the difficulties and stages of an immigrant’s life. For those unfamiliar with a culture or location, the language barrier is a considerable difficulty. Due to cultural differences, individuals find it challenging to acclimatize to new situations and cultures. The wolves’ daughters encounter this challenge when they arrive in their new environment. It’s challenging to feel compelled to adhere to a foreign civilization or culture, especially when others are judging you. Individuals learn a set of norms on how to function in society from a young age; therefore, it is easy to relate to the experiences of females. Symbolism is used to show how we adhere to specific guidelines. The nuns represent society’s attempt to force people to behave in a particular way, while the girls represent those who are different.
The individuals are depicted differently to ensure that the reader knows the various stages and ways in which they reflect the issue of migration and societal standards. For example, Jeanette is a dynamic character. After all, she efficiently manages the adjustment to human culture, whereas Mirabella is a static character because she struggles to adapt to human civilization. Mirabella, for example, acted like the other girls in Stage I, but in Stage 3, it is clear that Mirabella does not transform. “Almost everyone was fully bipedal,” Russell emphasizes to demonstrate this. Almost. Mirabella was causing concern among the flock. Mirabella ripped frothy chunks from the church pews and replaced them with hambones and girl dandruff (Russell, 242). This comment implies that Mirabella hasn’t changed from her previous existence and behaves like a wild beast. Mirabella also struggles with and does not embrace the change in human society because she does not know how to speak English.
In a nutshell, the short narrative uses the girls’ experiences to depict what most immigrants face. Language obstacles, for example, make it difficult to acclimate to new societies and cultures. In addition, the nuns represent a society that strives to compel people to follow particular rules. The narrative demonstrates that to follow the rules, one must become apathetic, yet it is up to the person to accept or reject the rules. However, one learns that change is unavoidable, but completely adapting to it takes time. Finally, Russell’s principal goal is to convey a secondary message about how Western society views outsiders.
Work Cited
Russell, Karen, and Various. St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves. Chatto & Windus, 2007.
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