Quick Answer

• ‘What Should Be Wild’ by Julia Fine is a literary dark fantasy novel that scrutinizes patriarchal control and female autonomy through the lens of folklore.
• The narrative follows a young woman’s escape into an enchanted, dangerous forest, where she confronts inherited wildness and societal constraints.
• This book is best suited for readers who appreciate complex feminist themes, visceral prose, and deconstructed fairy tale structures.

Who This Is For

• Readers seeking a literary exploration of feminist themes, particularly concerning bodily autonomy and the subversion of patriarchal narratives.
• Those who enjoy dark fantasy and retellings of folklore that are challenging, atmospheric, and psychologically intricate.

What Should Be Wild: A Novel

• Audible Audiobook
• Julia Fine (Author) - Cassandra Campbell, Rebecca Gibel (Narrators)
• English (Publication Language)
• 05/08/2018 (Publication Date) - Harper (Publisher)

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What to Check First

• Author’s Thematic Focus: Julia Fine often explores themes of female bodies, societal expectations, and primal instincts. ‘What Should Be Wild’ continues this trajectory, focusing on the suppression and reclamation of these elements.
• Tolerance for Visceral Imagery: The novel contains graphic descriptions of nature, decay, and bodily transformation, integral to its exploration of wildness and the rejection of sanitized views.
• Appreciation for Subverted Tropes: The book actively reimagines and deconstructs classic fairy tale elements. Familiarity with these can enhance understanding of Fine’s commentary.
• Preference for Atmospheric Prose: Fine’s writing style is dense, evocative, and often unsettling, contributing significantly to the novel’s mood and thematic depth.

Examining the Core Themes in What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine

Step-by-Step Plan for Understanding the Novel’s Core

1. Identify the Protagonist’s Initial Confinement: Observe how Bea is initially restricted by her family’s traditions and the patriarchal structures that dictate her life. Look for specific examples of rules and expectations imposed upon her, such as the pressure to marry and produce children.

• Mistake: Assuming Bea’s confinement is solely physical; it is deeply psychological and societal, tied to her perceived role and inheritance within a patriarchal framework.

2. Analyze the Forest as a Character: Examine the forest’s depiction not as a passive setting, but as an active, sentient entity that mirrors and influences the characters’ inner states. Note its dual nature of danger and liberation, and how it reacts to the characters’ presence.

• Mistake: Treating the forest as a mere backdrop; its presence is integral to the unfolding themes of wildness and natural power, serving as a manifestation of suppressed instincts.

3. Trace the Theme of Inherited Wildness: Follow Bea’s journey as she grapples with the concept of “wildness,” understanding it as an inherited, primal force that is both feared and suppressed by patriarchal society. Observe how this wildness manifests differently in various female characters.

• Mistake: Viewing “wildness” solely as uncontrolled savagery; it represents a complex interplay of instinct, intuition, and untamed feminine power that challenges societal control.

4. Examine Patriarchal Control and Its Manifestations: Identify instances where male characters or societal norms attempt to control or define women’s bodies, desires, and destinies. Note Bea’s resistance to these impositions, such as her refusal of unwanted suitors or her questioning of familial decrees.

• Mistake: Overlooking subtle forms of control; these can be as insidious and damaging as overt oppression, operating through social pressure, tradition, and enforced ignorance.

5. Observe the Role of Transformation: Analyze the physical and psychological transformations characters undergo, particularly Bea and other women in the forest. Consider what these changes signify in relation to reclaiming agency and confronting societal pressures.

• Mistake: Focusing only on the grotesque aspects of transformation; many changes represent a shedding of imposed identities and an embrace of authentic, primal selfhood.

6. Consider the Novel’s Fairy Tale Deconstruction: Recognize how Fine actively subverts familiar fairy tale archetypes and narratives to offer a more complex, unsettling, and feminist perspective on female agency. For example, the witch figure is recontextualized as a source of power rather than pure evil.

• Mistake: Expecting a straightforward or comforting resolution; the novel’s power lies in its challenging and often ambiguous conclusions, which reflect the ongoing struggle for autonomy.

Common Myths and Misconceptions about ‘What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine’

• Myth 1: The novel is simply a dark retelling of a specific fairy tale like “The Juniper Tree.”
• Correction: While drawing heavily on folklore and fairy tale motifs, ‘What Should Be Wild’ is more accurately described as a thematic synthesis and deconstruction. It weaves together elements from various tales to create a unique narrative focused on contemporary feminist concerns, rather than a direct adaptation of a single story. The emphasis is on exploring the spirit of these tales and their underlying power dynamics.
• Myth 2: The graphic and visceral imagery is gratuitous or merely for shock value.
• Correction: The visceral descriptions of nature, decay, and bodily processes are central to the novel’s exploration of primal instincts, female embodiment, and the rejection of sanitized, patriarchal views of the natural world. This imagery serves a critical thematic purpose, grounding the fantastical elements in a raw, physical reality that challenges societal repression.
• Myth 3: The “wildness” depicted is inherently destructive and chaotic, representing a loss of control.
• Correction: Fine presents “wildness” as a complex force encompassing instinct, intuition, and a rejection of oppressive societal norms. It is a source of power and autonomy that the protagonist must integrate, not merely suppress or fear. The narrative suggests that this “wildness” is a natural state that has been demonized by patriarchal structures.

A Deeper Look at What Should Be Wild by Julia Fine

Expert Tips for Engaging with the Novel

• Tip 1: Focus on Symbolism over Literal Interpretation.
• Actionable Step: When encountering fantastical elements or transformations, consider what they might represent metaphorically in terms of psychological states or societal commentary. For instance, the forest’s overgrowth can symbolize the suppression of natural female forces that eventually surge forth.
• Common Mistake to Avoid: Trying to find logical, real-world explanations for every magical occurrence; this can detract from the novel’s thematic resonance and its allegorical power.
• Tip 2: Track the Evolution of Female Agency.
• Actionable Step: Map the protagonist’s journey from a state of submissiveness or confusion to one of empowered decision-making, noting specific moments of resistance and self-discovery. Pay attention to how her understanding of her own power and her relationship to the “wild” changes throughout the narrative.
• Common Mistake to Avoid: Assuming agency is achieved through a single decisive act; it is often a gradual process involving internal conflict, difficult choices, and the integration of suppressed aspects of the self.
• Tip 3: Consider the Novel’s Relationship to Classic Fairy Tales.
• Actionable Step: Identify which classic fairy tale tropes (e.g., the forbidden forest, the damsel in distress, the wicked stepmother figure, the dangerous suitor) are present and how Julia Fine subverts or reinterprets them to serve her feminist agenda. For example, the forest is not just a place of danger but of potential liberation.
• Common Mistake to Avoid: Expecting a direct retelling; Fine uses familiar structures as a foundation for new, often darker, explorations of power dynamics and female experience, challenging the inherent biases within traditional narratives.

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