Themes

Deception and manipulation

The short story “The Company of Wolves” by Angela Carter explores the theme of deception and manipulation. The theme is illustrated by both the werewolf and the girl, who switch roles towards the end of the story. 

When he meets the girl in the forest, the werewolf deceives her with his looks: “she’d never seen such a fine fellow before, not among the rustic clowns of her native village. So on they went together, through the thickening light of the afternoon” (p. 3, ll. 33-35). He deceives the girl and manipulates her into giving him her basket, which contains the knife that could protect her. 

When he arrives at the grandmother’s house, the werewolf deceives the old woman by impersonating her granddaughter: “‘It is your granddaughter,’ he mimicked in a high soprano” (p. 4, l. 31). After he kills the woman, the wer...