Wolf Hollow Themes, Symbols and Motifs
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Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
By Liane Hicks
Wolf Hollow is about 12-year-old Annabelle McBride as she grows up in the shadow of World War I and in the midst of World War II. It takes place in a small rural town in western Pennsylvania called Wolf Hollow. The story begins: "The year I turned twelve, I learned how to lie."
Storyboard Description
Students can analyze the importance of themes, symbols, and motifs in Wolf Hollow with a spider map!
Storyboard Text
- MOTIF: The Barn
- THEME: War
- World War I 40 million deaths
- World War II75 million deaths
- THEME: Bullying
- The barn is a recurring theme in Wolf Hollow. It is a place of solace for Annabelle and happiness where the boys play. It is also a place of refuge where Toby is hidden for a time in order to protect himself from a wrongful accusation.
- The story is overshadowed by war in many ways. Toby fought in WWI and has been suffering ever since. The world was only 20 years out of that war when WWII happened. Annabelle's town mourns those who have gone to fight and died, and Annabelle herself struggles to understand how someone could hate another person just for being different from them.
- Annabelle is bullied ferociously by Betty. The book shows how easy it is for bullies to get away with bad behavior through intimidation tactics and lies. Betty is perceived to be a nice girl when in reality, she has been secretly tormenting Annabelle for months.
- SYMBOL: The Camera
- WOLF HOLLOWTHEMES, SYMBOLS, & MOTIFS
- THEME: Post Traumatic Stress
- Annabelle's family won a camera but her farmer parents do not have much use for it. They offer it to Toby, who uses it as an outlet for his grief. He takes photos of the beauty all around him and hangs printed pictures around his tiny shack. The camera is a symbol of his humanity.
- Many soldiers come home from the horrors of war with Post Traumatic Stress. Toby has been unable to move on from what he saw and did in WWI and lives in near total solitude. He struggles to form relationships, is unkempt, and carries two guns. He seems odd and scary. In reality, he is carrying the weight of the war on his back.
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