Ashlynn Turner ENG 9H Block 2 9/30/22 U1 Summative Paragraph The short story “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” by Karen Russell presents the concept that conformity forced onto groups results in them forfeiting their capability to function as a group. In this story, Russell follows the story of Claudette, a girl taken away from everything she knows to study a seemingly better culture. In this story, Claudette looked back on her past at St. Lucy’s school for girls raised by wolves. One event that she recalls is the debutante ball. She depicted the ball as follows: “Mirabella had intercepted my eye-cry for help. She'd chewed through her restraints and tackled me from behind, barking at unseen cougars, trying to shield me with her tiny body … But …show more content…
'You have ruined it!' my sisters panted, circling around us, eager to close ranks. 'Mirabella has ruined it!' Every girl was wild-eyed and itching under her polka dots, punch froth dribbling down her chin. The pack had been waiting for this moment for some time.'Mirabella cannot adapt! Back to the woods, back to the woods!” In this excerpt Russell used repetition of dialogue frequently throughout, examples being “Now you have ruined the Sausalito!” “You have ruined the ball!” and “You have ruined it!”(Russell 250). In this scene the repetition of dialogue represents the pack's eagerness to dispose of Mirabella, the determination to close the ranks by whatever is necessary. They were taught to see everything as an experiment, a challenge or a competition to be in favor of the nuns.Their ability to turn one another without a thought is demonstrated when Mirabella breaks free at the ball. Showing how when she frees herself from the chokehold of conformity to help her sister, she has nothing but incrimination waiting for her. The pack diminishes their former beliefs in unity and turns on her for personal gain. Mirabella learned that there is no place