Into the Wild

The structure of the Clans’ society is integral to the setting of Into the Wild and communicates some of the novel’s core themes. Each Clan is governed by a hierarchy of positions, wherein each cat has responsibilities befitting their designated role, and all of which centralize the same principle: community. Each role in the Clan contributes to the whole: The warriors hunt for and protect the Clan and train the upcoming warriors; the medicine cat cares for the Clan’s health and interprets messages from StarClan; the she-cats in the nursery all participate in communal kitten rearing. Cats too old to continue in their duties are honored as elders (retired warriors) and cared for by the entire Clan. The Clans’ community-focused way of life is a vehicle for the fellowship that both defines and drives the warriors’ world.

Ceremonies are another important part of Clan life. Although these ceremonies mirror human ones, the Clan cats’ ceremonies are grounded in cat body language. This prompts the reader to consider complex systems of social communication different from their own. For example, the cats strengthen their social bonds in a ritual known as “sharing tongues,” in which all the cats gather and groom each other while swapping news; the reader might consider what kinds of rituals they engage in to strengthen their social bonds.