| The North American wolf was hunted almost to the point of extinction in the United States by the late 1950s, while other common North American predators did not experience a similar fate. This thesis examines randomly selected late nineteenth to late twentieth century fiction on five common North American predators (badgers, bears, wild cats, foxes and wolves) and discusses attitudes and emotional responses toward these predators, as revealed within our culture and symbols. The non-wolf predators are often described using silly or humorous anecdotes, while the wolf is portrayed as sinister and scary. The wolf may be perceived in a more negative way than other predators because we understand it less and fear it more. The wolf may become a symbol for everything bad in the human condition and we attempt to annihilate it, thus all of nature, including human nature, suffers for the loss. |
