The Morality of Animals

Alex is deeply concerned with the moral distinction between the human and animal world, and this informs her own personal moral code, which she abides by independent of the rest of society. Alex compares herself to a wolf repeatedly throughout the novel in order to align herself with the pure nature of a violent animal rather than with the violent cowardice of a man committing crimes against another being: ““I am a wolf that my sister kept in a cage, until her hand was removed. I have been out, curious as I wake up from a lethargic solitude, self-enforced because I know I don’t belong here. It’s not safe for me to be out, but they rattled my cage. First Claire and then Jack. And now I’m awake, deviating from the paths I created in order to remain stable. I...