A Sociological and Psychological Analysis of The White Wolf of the Hartz Mountains

Abstract

Abstract The White Wolf of the Hartz Mountains (1839) is a short story was written by Captain Frederick Marryat. Andrew Barger, in his book The Best Werewolf Short Stories (2010), mentions that it was veritable work of Captain’s novel serialized from 1837 to 1839 printed on its own. Captain Frederick Marryat was famous for his short writings on nautical subjects. Most of his works are known as short stories, plays, pieces of travel journalism. The central character who is presented in The White Wolf of the Hartz Mountains (1839) is an impetus for the sociological and psychological study. The writer has presented the central character (Christina) as a marginal character (the white wolf), who continuously appears and disappears for the readers. The shapeshifting character (Christina) is not just the tool of fantasy, metaphor and imagination, yet she mostly commands attention as the symbol of social policy and horrific power. The writer (Marryat) uses the werewolf character (Christina) to focus the attention on the sociological and psychological effects, and the reasons against modern and traditional societies in order to get justice, regain women’s rights, make the domestic ideal, reject man's authority and superiority, and to show her inner psychological suffering .