Howling in the Dark: Werewolf as American Shadow

Abstract

The figure of the werewolf has changed in popular culture since the first tale was published in pulp magazines in the late 1930’s. As American attitudes changed towards violence and conflict, the way the werewolf is portrayed transformed. Through the use of myths, folklore, and literature of eras past, each generation has built upon the werewolf mythology. These changes can be seen throughout the many genres in which the werewolf appears.

Through werewolf characters in literature and film, the process of integration of the shadow and ego, consciousness and unconsciousness, and primal and civilized nature is seen. As the werewolf turns from a tortured soul fighting with its dual nature, to a being that comfortably shifts back and forth between its forms, it learns to deal with the anger and violence of its primalness. These changes are set against the backdrop of various wars and conflicts in American history, which coincides with the rise of werewolf recognition in popular culture.