First, I learned that uneducated, ill-mannered, wild creatures like Mirabella can be more human and sympathetic than her ‘civilized’ sisters. Her example taught me that process of civilization and becoming human-like should not exclude abandoning one`s values and ability to support and sympathize. True human characteristics are already embedded in almost all creatures and the only thing one should do is control and tame all negative and primitive instincts; therefore letting kindness flourish and develop. In fact, I saw that notion and term ‘civilization’ is used as a tool in killing all good and human that are implemented by nature. Ability to unite and protect one another in cases of danger or calamity is smothered by society`s artificial values and norms which drive people away from each other leaving them miserable and trapped. Society dictates to think about oneself thus spreading selfishness and competitiveness. For instance, accident during ball shows that in pursue of being more like girl-girls Claudette lost all her values and ability to support her sister; moreover, she became trapped by society’s opinion and fake values like status and position in the eyes of nuns, for example. Her attempts to look and be more civilized and different from her origin turned her into a little monster that pretends to be someone else thus hurting those who love her and abandoning her family values and principals. I am not trying to say that being a civilized person is a terrible thing and everyone should obey their instincts and return to the primitive state, on the contrary, I want to say that one should not forget that being oneself is more important than blindly following someone`s lead. Characters of Claudette and Mirabella show different approaches of treating one`s traditions and values as well as illuminates notion of being human and civilized.
The second thing I learned is that assimilation in a foreign country or culture can be more painful and harder than one thinks. It is impossible to become a true representative of another culture. One will stuck in the middle thus losing one`s roots and origin in a tiring race of mimicking and copying things and actions that one can barely relate to. Live of such person will remind a never ending pretend. For instance the last lines of this short story perfectly well emphasize my thoughts: “So,’ I said, telling my first human lie ‘I’m home.” (Jack, 252) Claudette is not a wolf nor a girl anymore she is a representative of completely another culture now. Personally I saw that attempts to become someone else, someone better do not necessarily mean abandoning one`s true origin and values.
All things considered I not only enjoyed reading this short story but also learned and more understood things like assimilation in a foreign culture and what it means to be civilized. Moreover, this short story left a remarkable trace in my memory because it is extremely deep and can be interpreted from different perspectives.
References
Jack, Ian. God's Own Countries. London: Granta, 2006. Print.
