The current research aims to study how Suleikha Snyder’s Big Bad Wolf uses magical realism to tell a story that’s both deeply imaginative and powerfully political. By blending the real world with the supernatural think werewolves, psychic powers, and shadowy government forces Snyder doesn’t just entertain; she exposes the harsh realities faced by those on the margins of society. Through the lens of magical realism, the novel transforms the figure of the ‘Big Bad Wolf’ into something far more complex: not just a monster, but a symbol of resistance, trauma, and survival. Drawing on theories of magical realism, as well as postcolonial and feminist thought, this thesis explores how the novel challenges our ideas of identity, justice, and power in a world shaped by U.S.-led global dynamics. Snyder’s use of the fantastic isn’t about escape it’s about seeing the world more clearly, and imagining new ways to live and fight back. Ultimately, this study argues that magical realism in Big Bad Wolf is a tool for truth-telling, giving voice to those often silenced and reimagining what it means to be monstrous in a broken world.
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At its core, Big Bad Wolf engages with themes of identity, resistance, trauma, and love. Joe Peluso, a werewolf created through state experimentation, symbolizes the marginalized subject who is both feared and hunted by authoritarian systems. His “monstrosity” becomes a metaphor for racialized otherness and the way societies manufacture threats to justify control . Neha Ahluwalia, a psychologist and lawyer, provides a human perspective that bridges the rational and the supernatural, embodying the feminist ethic of care and resistance. Through their relationship, Snyder explores how love functions as political resistance, echoing Audre Lorde’s notion that care itself can be a radical act. Thematically, the novel critiques surveillance and state violence, with agencies like the Supernatural Regulation Bureau standing in for real-world institutions such as ICE or Homeland Security. It also challenges myths and archetypes, subverting the traditional “Big Bad Wolf” into a figure of survival and resilience. Snyder’s narrative blends postcolonial, feminist, and psychoanalytic concerns, revealing how magical realism can be used to critique authoritarianism and to reframe monstrosity as a site of empowerment. Ultimately, the novel highlights that survival, community, and love remain possible even under systemic oppression, making Big Bad Wolf a powerful contribution to contemporary speculative fiction. (2864)
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