Anthropophagy of the Werewolf

Leah Henderson

doi:10.31273/eirj.v7i2.402

Abstract

Lycanthropic anthropophagy is the main concern for Justine Larbalestier’s novel Liar (2009). The novel is about the mysterious killing of highschool teen, Zach, in contemporary New York City. Zach’s girlfriend Micah, notorious for being a pathological liar and an outcast, is considered highly suspect as the murderer, particularly by her parents who know she is secretly a werewolf. The werewolf is both exceptional for its special abilities yet also cursed with uncontrollable, bloodthirsty urges at each full moon. This article argues that anthropophagy of the werewolf is metaphorically an act of social taboo when one lives and behaves in opposition to the socially prescribed. Through Micah’s surreal and unstable narration Larbalestier explores contemporary issues such as authority over the individual, gender non-conformity, and mob mentality, in order to criticise popular opinions that ostracise people perceived as outsiders. This article will explore these themes in greater detail and prove the ways in which Larbalestier uses eco-feminist fiction to communicate these criticisms.

Highlights

Justine Larbalestier's novel Liar (2009) is about the mysterious killing of highschool teen, Zach, in New York City
This article argues that anthropophagy of the werewolf is metaphorically an act of social taboo when one lives and behaves in opposition to the socially prescribed
The novel constructs lycanthropic anthropophagy as a metaphor for the social stigma experienced by a seventeen-year-old girl who does not comply with feminine stereotypes

Summary

Introduction

Justine Larbalestier's novel Liar (2009) is about the mysterious killing of highschool teen, Zach, in New York City. Zach’s girlfriend Micah, notorious for being a pathological liar and an outcast, is considered highly suspect as the murderer, by her parents who know she is secretly a werewolf. This article argues that anthropophagy of the werewolf is metaphorically an act of social taboo when one lives and behaves in opposition to the socially prescribed Larbalestier manipulates this situation by confusing the masculinised characteristic traits of a werewolf with that of a misfit and ‘unfeminine’ teenage girl. The article will explore concepts of reality and identity that reveal the extent of social conformity within the modern highschool setting as an homogenising method of control over individuals This method of control is expressed in multiple ways: through adults’ fears of allowing teenagers some freedom, the institutionalisation of education, and the biases of the city community that mould students into stereotypical feminine females and masculine males. This article will textually analyse these comparisons in greater detail

Reality and Conformity

Gender Stereotyping as a Form of Conformity

The Social Taboo of Lycanthropic Anthropophagy

Conclusion