St. Lucy Home for Girls Raised by Wolves Analysis

“St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” is a short story written by Karen Russell. It’s a unique and imaginative tale about a group of wolf-girls who are brought to a special school to learn how to be human. The story is told from the perspective of Claudette, one of the wolf-girls, as she and her pack-mates go through the process of becoming “civilized.”

The story is both funny and sad, mixing elements of fantasy with real-world issues. It explores themes like identity, belonging, and the struggle between nature and nurture. As we follow the girls’ journey, we see how hard it is for them to leave behind their wolf ways and adapt to human society.

Setting of the Story

The story takes place at St. Lucy’s, a school run by nuns. It’s designed specifically to teach wolf-girls how to act like human girls. The setting is crucial to the story because it represents the human world that the girls are being forced to join.

St. Lucy’s is described as a place with:

• Tall iron gates
• Stained-glass windows
• Long hallways with portraits of saints
• Dormitories where the girls sleep

This setting creates a stark contrast with the forest where the girls grew up. It’s a structured, rule-filled environment that’s completely different from the wild freedom they’re used to.

Main Characters

Claudette: Claudette is our narrator and main character. She’s one of the wolf-girls and tells the story of their transformation. Claudette is somewhere in the middle of the pack – not the best at adapting, but not the worst either. She struggles with the changes but tries her best to fit in.

Mirabella: Mirabella is Claudette’s pack-mate who has the hardest time adjusting to human ways. She clings to her wolf nature and resists the nuns’ teachings. Mirabella represents the wild, untamed part of the girls that the nuns are trying to suppress.

Jeanette: Jeanette adapts to human ways the quickest. She becomes a model student and even starts to look down on her less “civilized” pack-mates. Jeanette shows how some of the girls lose touch with their wolf nature in their efforts to fit in.

The Nuns: The nuns at St. Lucy’s are the teachers responsible for turning the wolf-girls into proper young ladies. They use a mix of strict rules, rewards, and punishments to shape the girls’ behavior.

Plot Summary

The story is divided into five stages, each representing a step in the girls’ transformation:

Stage 1: The Arrival The wolf-girls are brought to St. Lucy’s. They’re scared and confused, still behaving like wolves. The nuns start teaching them basic human behaviors like walking on two legs and using utensils.

Stage 2: Early Progress The girls begin to learn human language and manners. Some, like Jeanette, pick things up quickly. Others, like Mirabella, struggle to adapt. Claudette is somewhere in the middle, trying her best but often slipping back into wolf habits.

Stage 3: The Halfway Point By this stage, most of the girls have made significant progress. They can speak, dress themselves, and behave more like human girls. However, they still have moments where their wolf nature comes out, especially when they’re stressed or excited.

Stage 4: Advanced Learning The girls start learning more complex human behaviors, like small talk and dancing. They’re preparing for their debut into human society. Claudette realizes how much she and her pack-mates have changed, and feels a mix of pride and sadness.

Stage 5: The Debut The girls are presented to human society at a school dance. They’ve come a long way from their wolf days, but some, like Mirabella, still struggle to fit in. The story ends with Claudette realizing that while she can act human, a part of her will always be a wolf.

Themes in the Story

Nature vs. Nurture: One of the big questions in this story is whether the girls’ wolf nature can be completely erased by their human education. We see how some girls, like Jeanette, seem to fully embrace their new human identity. Others, like Mirabella, can’t let go of their wolf ways. This makes us think about how much of who we are is born with us, and how much is shaped by our environment and education.

For example, even though Claudette learns to act human, she still feels the pull of the moon and the urge to howl. This suggests that while nurture (the nuns’ teaching) can change behavior, nature (the girls’ wolf instincts) remains a powerful force.

Identity and Belonging: The wolf-girls are caught between two worlds – the wolf world they came from and the human world they’re being pushed into. They struggle to figure out where they belong and who they really are.

We see this when Claudette visits her family and realizes she no longer fits in with them. She can’t communicate with her parents and brothers like she used to. But she also doesn’t feel completely at home in the human world. This leaves her, and many of the other girls, feeling lost and unsure of their place.

The Cost of Civilization: The story makes us think about what we gain and what we lose when we become “civilized.” The girls learn many useful skills at St. Lucy’s, like reading, writing, and human manners. But they also lose their connection to nature, their freedom, and in some ways, their true selves.

For instance, when the girls first arrive, they’re described as wild and joyful, running and playing freely. By the end of the story, they’re proper young ladies who know how to curtsy and make small talk. They’ve gained acceptance in human society, but lost some of their natural exuberance and authenticity.

Conformity vs. Individuality: The nuns at St. Lucy’s are trying to make all the girls conform to a certain standard of behavior. Some girls, like Jeanette, embrace this fully. Others, like Mirabella, resist it. This reflects the real-world tension between fitting in with society’s expectations and staying true to oneself.

We see this play out when Mirabella is punished for her wild behavior. The other girls, including Claudette, start to see her as an embarrassment. They’ve internalized the idea that her wolf-like behavior is wrong, even though it’s a natural part of who they all are.

Symbolism and Imagery

The Moon: The moon appears several times in the story and symbolizes the girls’ connection to their wolf nature. Even as they become more human-like, they still feel the pull of the moon, reminding them of their true selves.

For example, Claudette describes how the girls would “slump against one another… and gaze up at the moon, mournful and full.” This image shows how the girls still long for their old life, even as they adapt to their new one.

The Uniform: The school uniform that the girls wear represents conformity and the loss of their individual wolf identities. As they learn to wear the uniform properly, it shows how they’re being molded to fit human society’s expectations.

The Forest: The forest represents the girls’ past and their true nature. It’s described as dark and wild, in contrast to the orderly, civilized world of St. Lucy’s. When Claudette visits home, she finds she can no longer navigate the forest like she used to, symbolizing how she’s losing touch with her wolf self.

Narrative Style and Voice

The story is told from Claudette’s point of view, in first-person plural (“we”) for much of the narrative. This “we” voice represents the pack mentality of the wolf-girls. As the story progresses and the girls become more individualized, the narrative shifts more to Claudette’s individual perspective.

Russell’s writing style is vivid and often humorous, mixing the familiar with the strange. She describes the girls’ wolf behaviors in a matter-of-fact way that makes the fantastical premise feel believable.

For example, when describing how the girls ate their first human meal, Claudette says, “We slid under the tablecloth and gobbled up the leftovers. The nuns made a game of it, hiding the food in different places, so that we would be motivated to search for it.”

This blend of wolf behavior (gobbling leftovers under the table) with human elements (the nuns turning it into a game) creates a unique and engaging narrative voice.

Character Development

Throughout the story, we see significant changes in the characters, especially Claudette:

Claudette’s Transformation: At the start, Claudette is fully a wolf-girl, running on all fours and unable to speak. By the end, she can pass as human, even if she doesn’t feel fully human inside. Her journey is one of both growth and loss – she gains new skills and knowledge, but loses some of her wild nature and her connection to her family.

For instance, when Claudette first arrives at St. Lucy’s, she describes how they “slept in a heap, resting our chins on each other’s warm bellies.” By the end, she sleeps alone in a bed, showing how she’s lost that close physical connection with her pack.

Mirabella’s Resistance: Mirabella remains wild throughout the story, refusing to fully adapt to human ways. Her character shows the difficulty and perhaps impossibility of completely changing one’s nature.

We see this when Mirabella disrupts the school dance by “picking up a live moth and crunching it in her teeth.” While the other girls are horrified, this moment reminds us of the wildness that still exists within all of them.

Jeanette’s Adaptation: Jeanette goes to the opposite extreme of Mirabella, embracing human ways so completely that she seems to forget her wolf nature entirely. Her character raises questions about whether such a complete transformation is really possible or desirable.

The Ending and Its Significance

The story ends with the girls’ debut into human society at a school dance. This event symbolizes their final step into the human world. However, the ending is bittersweet:

• Claudette realizes she can never fully belong in either the wolf world or the human world. She’s caught between two identities.
• Mirabella’s continued wildness shows that complete transformation may not be possible for everyone.
• The girls’ parents attend the dance but can’t recognize their daughters, highlighting the gulf that now exists between the girls and their past.

The final line of the story is particularly powerful. Claudette says, “I tried to speak, but I couldn’t. It was as if my tongue had been scorched by those three impossible words: I miss you.” This shows that while Claudette has learned to act human, her deepest feelings – her love for her family and her longing for her old life – can’t be expressed in human language.

This ending leaves us with several questions to ponder:

• Is it possible to completely change who we are?
• What do we lose when we try to fit into society?
• Can we ever truly forget where we came from?

The Broader Message

While “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” is a fantasy story, it deals with very real and relatable issues. Many readers can connect with the girls’ struggle to fit in and the feeling of being caught between two worlds.

The story can be seen as a metaphor for:

• Growing up and leaving childhood behind
• Immigrants adapting to a new culture
• Anyone who feels pressured to change who they are to fit in with society

Russell seems to be suggesting that while we can learn to adapt to new situations, we can’t (and perhaps shouldn’t) completely erase our true nature. The story encourages us to think about the value of our unique identities and the importance of staying true to ourselves, even as we learn to navigate the wider world.

Writing Techniques

Karen Russell uses several effective writing techniques in this story:

Vivid Imagery: Russell’s descriptions are rich and evocative, helping us visualize this strange world. For example, she describes the girls’ first attempt at wearing shoes: “Jeanette’s shoes squeaked with each step, our own little Greek chorus of leather.”

Humor: Despite the often sad undertones of the story, Russell includes many humorous moments. This helps to keep the story from becoming too heavy and makes the characters more endearing. For instance, she describes how the girls initially “piddle on the carpets and gouge holes in the lambswool mattresses.”

Mixing the Familiar with the Strange: Russell takes familiar elements of boarding school stories (strict nuns, school dances, uniform inspections) and mixes them with the fantastical element of girls raised by wolves. This combination makes the strange seem more believable and the familiar seem fresh and interesting.

Use of Metaphor: The entire story can be read as an extended metaphor for the process of growing up or assimilating into a new culture. This gives the story depth and allows readers to connect it to their own experiences.

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St Lucy’s Home For Girls Raised By Wolves Summary

FAQs

1. Q: Is this story based on real events? A: No, this is a work of fiction. There’s no real St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves. The author, Karen Russell, used her imagination to create this fantastical story.
2. Q: What age group is this story suitable for? A: While the story features young characters, its themes and symbolism make it more suitable for older teens and adults. It’s often studied in high school and college literature classes.
3. Q: Is this story part of a larger book? A: Yes, “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” is the title story in Karen Russell’s first book, a collection of short stories published in 2006.
4. Q: What genre would you classify this story as? A: This story can be classified as magical realism or contemporary fantasy. It combines realistic elements with fantastical ones in a modern setting.
5. Q: Are there any real-world parallels to the situation in the story? A: While the specific scenario is fantastical, the story parallels real-world situations like cultural assimilation, the challenges of growing up, and the pressure to conform to society’s expectations.
6. Q: Why did the author choose to write about wolf-girls? A: The wolf-girl concept allows Russell to explore themes of wildness vs. civilization in a unique and engaging way. It also serves as a powerful metaphor for the process of growing up and leaving behind one’s “wild” childhood self.
7. Q: What’s the significance of the story being divided into stages? A: The stages represent the girls’ progression from wild to “civilized.” This structure emphasizes the systematic nature of their transformation and mirrors real-world stages of development or cultural adaptation.
8. Q: Is the ending happy or sad? A: The ending is bittersweet. The girls have successfully adapted to human society in many ways, but they’ve also lost touch with their original nature and families. It leaves readers with mixed feelings, much like Claudette herself experiences.
9. Q: What does Mirabella represent in the story? A: Mirabella represents resistance to change and the persistence of one’s true nature. Her character raises questions about whether it’s possible or desirable to completely change who we are to fit societal expectations.
10. Q: Are there any sequels or related stories to this one? A: While there’s no direct sequel, Karen Russell has written other short stories and novels that explore similar themes of growing up, identity, and the intersection of the magical and the mundane.