Wolves

Wolves appear as a practical threat surrounding the burial of Lizzy Enders’s mother. Though they are not shown attacking anyone, the fear that they might reach the exposed grave shapes how the girls discuss the body and what should be done before the party moves on.

Threat at the Burial

As Lizzy’s father digs the grave with one arm, Elinora proposes hanging Mama’s body between tree branches, recalling a skeleton the travelers had seen along the way and arguing that this would keep the wolves away. Lizzy rejects the proposal and later says she will help place stones over Mama’s grave before they leave, so the wolves cannot get into it. The two suggestions frame the grave as vulnerable until it is protected.

Narrative Role

The wolves remain outside the scene, present through the travelers’ expectations rather than a witnessed attack. Their anticipated interference gives urgency to the work of burial and to Lizzy’s plan to cover the grave. For Lizzy, the stones are a concrete safeguard for her mother’s resting place; Elinora’s more startling suggestion sharpens their disagreement over how the dead should be treated.