Blog Entry Eleven

 Title: The will to survive: An archetypal journey from Orphan, through Wanderer, to Warrior.

Introduction to author:

            Dorothy Hearst was an acquisitions editor before she began writing stories about wolves. Since she was quite young, she always had a passion for books and writing. During her time as an editor, she spent at least ten years writing many drafts—including many unfinished first pages—before finding a topic that truly inspired her: wolves. Promise of the Wolves is Hearst’s first novel; but it began as one of those unfinished first pages from her period of trial and error as a writer.

Claim, thesis:
            Kaala Smallteeth is the heroine of Promise of the Wolves, a mixed-blood young wolf who should have died as soon as she was born, but was destined to live, and also to choose. That choice was extremely difficult. Kaala’s will to survive is so strong that she is able to overcome and fight everything and everyone to achieve her place in the Swift River Pack. It is very important for her, because it was the last promise Kaala made to her mother, before she was banished for having a mixed-blood litter. The young wolf pup of mixed blood rescues a little girl from drowning, thus breaking the wolf promise never to consort with humans. This starts a war between wolves and humans, a war only Kaala can stop. She is a great example of the Warrior Archetype in Carol Pearson’s Heroic Myth system.

Critical approach:

            To better understand Kaala I’m using the book The Hero Within – Six Archetypes We Live By, by Carol Pearson. The author gives us unique ideas about how to explore ourselves and others, how to recognize ancient archetypes and discover the significance of myth and archetype in our lives. Pearson’s work is mainly based on Carl Jung’s system and terminology. Jung created the term “archetype” to understand and characterize psychological patterns that occur often in the stories (and real life), and can be found in symbols, images, texts, and other things. Building on Jung’s work, Pearson formed six archetypes, which are very helpful to tell and understand myths of the hero. As she says in her book “the journey described here is more circular or spiral than linear. It begins with the complete trust of the Innocent, moves to the longing for safety of the

Orphan, the self-sacrifice of the Martyr, the exploring of the Wanderer, the competition and triumph of the Warrior, and then the authenticity and wholeness of the Magician” (Pearson, xxvi). Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth will be also helpful to describe Kaala’s character. There are basic patterns in her life that are very similar to The Hero’s Journey: Separation, Adventure and Return. The Hero’s journey starts in an ordinary world, which has to be accepted by him; then he must survive the challenge, sometimes with help. The last stage of the hero’s journey is successful return to the ordinary life, to live in peace and confidence.

Body of the text:

            Set 14,000 years ago, the story told by Kaala begins with the legend about the wolves, whose blood is mixed with an outsider wolf. The rule was that only senior male and female of the pack could have pups. Unless given permission by the leader wolves, no other wolf may mate, because for extra pups it was usually to difficult to feed. Kaala’s mother broke the rule of Swift River pack by giving birth to the mixed-blood pups. Ruuqo, the greatwolf, kills all of them, only one survives – Kaala Smallteeth. Her way to prove that she is worth something is long and difficult. When her story starts, she strongly represents the Archetype of Orphan: she seeks safety, she is fearful of everyone and everything. She can’t stop thinking about food—it is almost her obsession. She is afraid that Ruuqo will kill her, because she has an outsider’s blood. Kaala is so afraid of being abandoned by the pack, she has to face the world alone.

            In this stage of Kaala’s life we can also notice presence of the first stage of Monomyth-Separation. She is separated from normal world, from the only world she knew—she is separated from her mother. She is scared, but finally accepts it and finds strength to start the hero’s journey. At this point she “enters the belly of the Whale,” the zone of danger, big forest where she must survive. Kaala is still small and weak, but it is time to start the longest trip in her life. To stay alive she must pass three tests-the crossing the river, the first hunt, and the first winter. Rissa, female leaderwolf tells her: “If pup is strong enough to survive such trials, she is strong enough to be pack” (Hearst, 38). Tlitoo-raven, Kaala’s guardian, is always with her when she needs help; he shows her the right path to follow and always gives advice. He is also an Orphan, lonely but funny and cheerful. When they meet for the first time he says: “All I know is that the Bigwolves say you are more and less than wolf, and that I am to watch over you. I am more or less than raven, too” (57). In this point of the hero’s journey Kaala’s life transforms, she begins exploring and became the Wanderer. She is no more afraid of danger she wants to prove her strength and is ready to achieve great rewards through great risks. The Wanderer usually insists on living on her or his own rules, so does Kaala. The wolves should completely avoid contact with humans. Kalaa Smallteeth breaks the rules and tries to stay close to humans. As the legend says: “there is something in the souls of the wolves and humans that cannot live side by side. Most humans fear the wildness that is wolf, because it is something they can’t control. When we spend so much time with them, we either give up our wildness to please them, or we refuse o do so, which makes the human angry. Or we get angry and try to kill them” (109). In the legend the Ancients said that the valley, where Ruuqo with his pack lives should be place of peace. And the wolves MUST  keep that promise. Humans and wolves can't hunt together anymore because humans "instead of teeth and claws, they make their tools to kill with. Sharpsticks - a kind of long thorn - and a second stick that they use to throw the first one" (111). Wolves don't like it, it is against their rules. The journey of Kaala as a Wanderer is long. She has a lot to explore: how to run fast, how to find the prey, also how to hunt. These are all important things, she should know. Instead of it, she does her own things, she has to explore humans gathering place, because she is the Wanderer who" makes the radical assertion that life is not primarily suffering; it is an adventure" (Pearson, 51). Wanderers have "many ways of being alone...travel alone, spend [their] time alone" (58). The good example to prove it it when Kaala after saving little's girl life goes to the humans to meet with TaLi (girl's name) again, without telling anybody (her wolf friends). Even though she doesn't need them, they follow her."Wanderers do not learn their lesson all at once. Like all the archetypes they learn an initial lesson and then circle back... This is a lifelong process that sometimes requires more than mere risking" (63-64). Kaala is still young and inexperienced, she has no idea how dangerous dealing with humans could be, so she continues exploring... She keeps going to the humans... Until the "war" starts. It is time for Kaala to transform into the Warrior and fight, but fight against who.... humans or wolves, they both are her pack mates. At this stage we also find connection to the Monomyth - it is Kaala's Return. The Warrior archetype "includes self-defense, a willingness and an ability to fight to defend oneself (75), they tend to focus on the facts in an effort to be tough-minded" (79).                            






                                                       Sources

Hearst, Dorothy. "Dorothy Hearst." Dorothy Hearst-Biography. AuthorByte.com 
               2008. Web. 14 May 2012.

Pearson, Carol. The Hero Within: Six Archetypes we Live By. 3rd Edition. New 
               York: Harper&Row, 1986. Print.