Wolf Alice

I felt like a major idea in this story was the distinction between how we perceive ourselves as opposed to how others perceive us. I didn't feel like Alice brought out the Duke's humanity as much as she brought out his identity. I think he was unsure of who he was just like Alice and because they were able to connect in that way and not need to be "normal" he actually embraced his sense of self and was able to see his reflection in the mirror. They had a connection because they were different and they were able to empathize with one another. I think there was a realization that they weren't alone and they could be themselves and that would be okay for the other person.

Also, I thought the identity of the narrator was really important because there is a constant reminder that Alice is a human being -- not a wolf. The narrator isn't accepting of her and agrees with shutting her out. He admits to not understanding her and why she can't grasp acting like a human. I pulled a quote from page 122 "..we secluded her in animal privacy out of fear of her imperfection because it showed us what we might have been..." I think it is really important to think about how people who are considered normal are shutting out the things that are different and maybe scary. Alice is a young girl but still they are too afraid of her to see who she really is. The narrator represents the idea that people are not accepting of different.