American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West

The wolves are some of this book’s most important figures, but how does Blakeslee go about making them feel like characters to the reader? Can you find specific examples of how the author characterizes one of the story’s main wolves? Why does he depict the wolves in this way, and how successful is his strategy?

American Wolf includes numerous allusions to the way Western culture has portrayed wolves throughout history. To what extent does Blakeslee either compound or counter this narrative? Use specific examples from the text.

Blakeslee explains that wolf reintroduction is part of a culture war in the American heartland. What is a culture war? What positions do the two sides in the war over wolves hold? Can you identify common ground that might alleviate the tension between them?