The werewolf represents something potent in the human psyche. It is more than just a monstrous dog man that wants to kill rapaciously. It is instead a snarling beast that lurks in the subconscious mind of every human being. It is the shadow of our primitive past, the leftover essence of a time in the not too distant past, when our ancestors had to be savage just to survive.
This savagery is generally beaten down by the trappings of civilization. We are tamed, and that is the only way that society will work. However, that doesn’t mean that the beast isn’t still within us. It is part of the nature of who we are. And when the werewolf is used in literature, it is a symbolic representation, a form of catharsis for those pent up feelings.
It is hard to deny that as humans we experience rage, even blind rage. We sometimes look up at the sky and feel at one with nature. There are times when we just want to run and feel the wind in our face.
These are not instincts that came from sitting at computers. They are part of our primal past. The werewolf is the modern representation of this fact. It is the union of the civilized man, and the raging beast within. When we are cut off while driving, when someone bumps us while in line, every snide remark, ever boring repetitive task we do to keep the cogs of society rolling, these are all the trapping of civilization. Werewolves rip these asunder, leaving them tattered shreds to be picked up by the janitors of society.
And it is an important catharsis. You can’t deny feelings that have been a part of the human condition since the very beginning. Getting them out in literary form is important; the werewolf gives us an outlet for passions that are otherwise repressed. That is why so many people are drawn to these fictional creatures.
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You can meet a wide variety of vampires and werewolves, demons, dragons, psychics and more at the worlds first in character role playing social network, RolePages.com – Jim Artstone, the author of this article, is a character over there. Can you guess which one? Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Artstone |