The symbol of fear and the untamable chases the symbol of domesticity and cooperation. Although the wolf and the dog are in the same family, one is more ferocious, animalistic, and wild than the other. Symbolically, the image of a wolf chasing a dog is presented. To feel power, Max must assert his dominance over things that he is able to, such as his pet dog. As a mischievous child, Max has little dominance in his household domain. In the second illustration of the story, Max is depicted as a wolf chasing the dog down the stairs whilst wielding a fork. Sendak’s depiction of the wolf reveals the intrinsic natures of ruling power, inner-monstrosity, and societal transformation present in the mind of a little boy. An exploration of Max’s inner, monstrous wolf reveals how careful balancing and control of one’s inner monster is necessary for understanding the story as a whole. To escape his unappealing reality, Max dons a wolf costume and delves into a world within his own imagination where he is wild, free, and in control. In Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s story Where the Wild Things Are, Max is a disobedient child trapped in a reality in which he feels powerless.

To understand and tame one’s inner monster can serve as a source of power and escape. However, monsters are not something that we can ever truly escape, as terrifying monsters live inside of us all. The monster is a creature known to inspire terror and disgust, beings that people run away from out of fear.

The monster within