Julie of the Wolves
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| Julie of the Wolves | |
 The cover of the 1973-1974 edition of Julie of the Wolves. |
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| Author | Jean Craighead George |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | John Schoenherr |
| Cover artist | Wendell Minor |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Harper Trophy division of HarperCollins |
| Publication date | 1972 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 155 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-06-440058-1 |
| Followed by | Julie |
Julie of the Wolves is a children's novel by Jean Craighead George, published in 1972, about a young Inuit girl experiencing the changes forced upon her culture from outside. There are two sequels, Julie and Julie's Wolf Pack.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
The story has three sections, from her present situation, then a flashback, and finally back to the present.
The story opens with Miyax alone in the wilderness studying the wolves. She has been alone for some time, having run away from home, the details of which are elaborated on in the flashback. As of the novel's opening, she is starving and seeks help from the wolf pack. The first section focuses on her gradual acceptance into the pack. She studies the gestures and "language" of the wolves and learns to mimick them. By adjusting to their living patterns, Miyax makes herself less threatening to Kapugen, the alpha male whom she named after her own father. At first their interaction takes place at a distance. Soon she is able to approach the lowest wolf in the pack, a male named Jello, and induce him to regurgitate a portion of the food he had for her, as wolf cubs do from adult cugs. In this way she gains acceptance as a part of the pack and is able to eat and stay alive.
[edit] Miyax, the Girl
The second part of the book is Miyax's flashback of her past. It is revealed that her mother died, leaving her with her father, Kapugen, whom Miyax adores. Her father teaches her many things, including how to survive in her Arctic surroundings. One day, her Aunt Martha comes and tells of a law that Miyax must go to school and that Kapugen must go to war. Kapugen tells her that if anything happens to him or if she is unhappy, she can marry his business partner Naka's son, Daniel. Miyax lives in Martha's home in the town of Mekoryuk while she attends school under her American name, Julie. Martha soon reveals to Julie that her father is thought to be dead. She is made a pen pal with a girl in San Francisco. Soon Julie is offered to marry Daniel, since she was of age. She accepts and is transported to Daniel's village. Julie realizes that Daniel has problems, but is comforted by his mother. However, when Daniel attempts to rape her, she runs away for San Francisco towards her pen pal Amy, and changes her name back to Miyax.
[edit] Kapugen, the Hunter
In the third act, which returns to the present, Miyax follows the wolves, who help her in times of need, but realizes that the wolves are in danger as it is hunting season for the humans. The leader of the wolves is killed by hunters using a plane to chase the pack, so Miyax forces the other wolves to abandon her for their sake. Miyax builds a life for herself, but soon discovers that Kapugen is still alive and hurries to meet him. She finds him married to an American woman and without the ways of the Eskimos, so she leaves Kapugen.
[edit] History and Inspiration
Jean Craighead George states that when she was in Barrow, Alaska, she had observed a group of scientists at the Barrow Arctic Research Lab studying wolves and attempting to break their communication code. She eventually learned how to communicate with wolves, and upon successfully communicating with a female wolf, she decided to "write a book about a little girl, who is lost on the tundra and saves her life by communicating with the wolves."[1]
[edit] Awards and controversy
Julie of the Wolves has been banned several times due to the attempted rape of the main character. It is number 38 on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000.[2] The book was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1973.[3] '
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH |
Newbery Medal recipient 1973 |
Succeeded by The Slave Dancer |
