For my book report, I have chosen the novel Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mow

at. In this report I will give a brief summary of the novel as well as why I ha
ve chosen it for my report. Finally, I will give my reactions to the novel with
regards to its analysis of the place of human beings in nature, whether the dest
iny of humans and nature is intertwined, and how nature is regarded by the diffe
rent religious and political philosophies demonstrated in the novel.
Never Cry Wolf is based upon the true story of the author's experiences
during two years spent as a biologist studying a family of wolves in northern Ca
nada during the mid nineteen fifties. When Mowat is sent on his expedition his
goal is to bring back proof of the wolves decimating effect on the northern herd
s of Caribou. After arriving at the remote location, he finds a group of wolves
and begins his research. He then discovers the differing peculiarities of the
wolves and finds that they are more than the savage and merciless hunters that h
e had previously believed them to be. He discovers that they are in fact a very
efficient and resourceful and have their own distinctive culture. For example
he discovers that they in fact have a symbiotic relationship with the caribou in
that they keep the caribou population strong by hunting down only the sick and
weaker members of the herd. This leads to a situation where the strongest caribo
u survive and thus the herd is made stronger. As well they have their own soci
al orders that ensure peaceful co-existence with one another instead of being re
duced to fighting amongst themselves. Before Mowat's excursion conventional wis
dom thought that that was the only interraction that the wolves were capable of
. In his group he finds a monogamous pair who are raising their litter with ass
istance from another male wolf who Mowat terms to be an "uncle". His previous a
ssumptions which portrayed the wolves as cold heated killers who lived only for
the hunt, is challenged as he observes these animals play and interact within th
eir environment his previous assumptions about the role that these animals pla
y in nature. His attitude metamorphosis' from one of disdain and contempt to on
e of genuine respect and admiration.
I chose this novel for study instead of Siddhartha because I felt that t
his novel speaks more directly to me. I felt this way firstly, because of the l
ocation of the novel, northern Canada, in which I traveled for a summer, and sec
ondly because I enjoy spending time in the outdoors. This meant that I could mo
re easily identify the setting and thus relate better to the author's feelings a
nd perceptions. Meanwhile, Siddhartha was set in India and in my mind was dated
and unreal humankind (society) seems today to have more of a desire and a need
to get back to nature and the simple life. The spirit of peace that emanates fr
om Mowat's book allows one to focus on what is possible when one has time to ref
lect In this I mean that Never Cry Wolf seemed to hold a more meaningful messa
ge for modern times. As well I found the style of writing in the Mowat novel to
be clearer then in Siddhartha. These were some of the factors that combined to
produce a situation where Never Cry Wolf captured my attention more than Siddha
rtha. It was for these reasons that I chose the novel by Farley Mowat.
In my opinion, Never Cry Wolf placed humans in the role of intruders as
far as nature is concerned. Mowat cites several instances where humans violate
nature and represent a threat to its sanctity. Even though this threat is not r
eciprocated by nature, humans continue to infringe upon nature and then deny the
consequences of their actions. Two prevalent examples of this occur: when Mow
at accidentally wanders into the wolves den when the wolves' are there, and agai
n when he discovers a herd of deer that have been slaughtered by hunters. Both e
xamples show humans intruding upon nature and using it for their own purposes.
In the first example Mowat decides to explore the wolves' den without re
alizing that they are still inside. Once inside he discovers that they are stil
l there and he fears that he is going to be killed by them. Even though he is a
n intruder the wolves take no action against his presence and he manages to esca
pe. The most disturbing aspect of this event is afterwards when he describes th
e rage and fear that overcame him at the thought of having been at their mercy:
"I sat down on a stone and shakily lit a cigarette, becoming awar
e as I did that I was no longer frightened. Instead an irrational rage
possessed me. If I had had my rifle I believe that I might have reacted in bru
te fury and tried to kill both wolves." (P. 175)
In the second incident Mowat illustrates how humans brutally use nature
for their own benefit and pleasure. The situation occurs when a trapper comes t
o Mowat to show him "proof" of the savage and merciless ways of wolves. Followi
ng the trapper they come to a spot where approximately 50 deer have been slaught
ered. However, he quickly finds out that the deaths were the result of human hu
nters. Of the herd only two or three had been touched after the kill, their hea
ds taken home as trophies. Despite the evidence Mowat is unable to convince peo
ple of the true nature of the predators and in response to the incidence the bou
nty on wolves is raised by twenty dollars.
Overall I would say that Mowat's book makes the point that the destiny o
f humans and animals are closely entwined. Several times in the novel he illust
rates how each affects the other. As well he also demonstrates how humans can s
till learn from nature. One example of this
occurs when Mowat's food supplies run low and he adapts the fishing tactics of t
he wolves in order to catch fish.
The final aspect of Never Cry Wolf that I will examine is how nature is
regarded by the various religious and political philosophies demonstrated in the
novel. The two different philosophies which are demonstrated are one which are
diametrically opposed. The first philosophy is that of mainstream western cult
ure. This philosophy views nature as something to be feared and ultimately conq
uered. Throughout the book there are examples where people with this vi
ewpoint attempt to dominate nature or at least attempt to impose human moral jud
gment upon it. This is especially prevalent in people's attitudes towards wolve
s. They see the wolves bloodthirsty, merciless killers who are pillaging th
e caribou herds for mere blood sport. And yet those people fail to recognize th
at the true slaughterers are the human predators who blatantly overhunt the cari
bou herds. For instance, Mowat finds that conservatively, trappers kill a combi
ned 112 000 deer every year but still blame the wolf for the caribous'
decimation.
The other philosophy demonstrated in Never Cry Wolf is that of the nativ
e Americans of northern Canada. Their philosophy, as presented by Mowat is one
which views humans as only being a fraction of the total importance of nature.
In their culture they are taught to have reverence for nature and
to be efficient in their use of natural resources. This philosophy causes them
to see wolves, not as bloodthirsty menaces, but as animals simply fulfilling the
ir role in the natural chain.
In conclusion I believe that Never Cry Wolf illustrates the various beli
efs that different people have about nature and the environment. Mowat also eff
ectively demonstrates how these beliefs influence people's interaction with natu
re. Finally, Mowat leaves no doubt that humans do have a large and sometimes tr
aumatic impact upon nature. However with his experience changing Mowat's own ch
ange of thinking, we see that it is possible for humans to correct the error of
their humanistic thinking. This can particularly be seen in Mowat's closing sen
tences...
"I thought of Angeline and her pup cowering at the bottom of the de
n where they had taken refuge from the thundering apparition of the aircra
ft, and I was shamed." (P.175)