The problem with the wolf

I have always liked the wolf, big, black, lustrous, toothy and especially, sweet-talking, because, what’s the point of a villain unless he is also likable?

When I was ten and my brother was eleven, my parents drove us through the arid landscape of upper Languedoc where the Beast of Gevaudan had devoured an impressive series of young women some two centuries before. The educational visit — complete with eighteenth century engravers, a guided tour of a local museum and a handful of dioramas — left me with nightmares and a powerful fear of hiking through deserted landscapes. It was the kind of experience meant to rein in the impulses of roaming children; it worked beautifully.

I can’t recall any effective lesson about the other kind of wolves: the one who befriends you before eating you up.

That wolf, charming, drink in hand, always fun, is so much more interesting than your run-of-the-mill hungry specimen. For starters, he always seems to anticipate your needs: disobey your mother? Check. Take the lazy path home? Check. Try the forbidden food? Check. Throw your grandmother in his fangs? Why not?

He is also cheerfully unhurried. He has no need to eat you right away. He’ll take his time and lead you there. There’s so much more fun in the journey than in the destination.

Third, he is civilized. No gore and teeth for this big bad wolf. The fun is in the manipulation. He is your pimp, your drug dealer, your bookie and whoever else you turn to for fun, validation or outright rebellion.

The problem is that most of us haven’t been shown how to deal with the bad guy. While temptation and transgressions are the cornerstones of classic fairy tales, those stories do not rely on inner strength to resolve a bad situation.

As the kid in the fairy tale, you are either eaten by your wolf or saved by a third party (hopefully a well-armed hunter with perfect timing). Victimization or a miracle: these are your only choices.

This is not to say that we should get rid of fairy tales. No matter the recent sanitization of fairy tales, the stories are powerful. Not only do they connect us to each other but they are still a primary myth to address our deepest fears. Still, it is time to reconsider our treatment of those myths in view of the types of challenges we are likely to meet.

In a world of instant,multiple connections, intense diversity and relative values we must reinvent our heros.

We must befriend the big bad wolf, learn his tricks and beat him at his game.