Man's Instincts Versus Bear's

Man's Instincts versus Bear's

In Widrig's Story by G. Galef, two living being's instincts; one of survival, the other of protection and inborn tendencies, collide. When Widrig trespasses into a bear's territory, the affects and instincts that unfold in between the two are clearly seen. Widrig's instincts to save himself and the bear's instincts to protect his cub help both creatures to survive not only in their own separate environments but also in the midst of each other's.

Bear's instincts are ones of protection and ownership of their land and offspring. For example, when the bear heard the man coming, he "woofed" and stood up. The bear was ready and alert, searching for the invader. The bear did not hide but made his presence known. In addition, he went toward the cub and then turned on the man. The bear's instincts told him to watch the cub and then do what was necessary to save it. The bear turned on Widrig in order to ward off the enemy. Furthermore, the bear came right for him and ripped him apart. The bear acted defensively due to his instincts. The bear attacked and continued to attack Widrig until he was no longer a threat. Bear's instincts are based off of their protection of their cubs and a need to eliminate threats to their territory.

Man's instincts are ones of self preservation and survival. For example, the man yelled, "Bear! Bear!" when he saw the bear in the bushes. He didn't yell it in order to watch out for the other people, but rather to let them know about the predicament he was in. He was more worried about himself than others. In addition, Chris screamed and ran away. Widrig realized his weaknesses and did not try to put up a fight but rather fled. The only way to get away was to run with all his heart, so that is exactly what he did. Furthermore, the man ran ten steps, looked back, and kept running. The man looked back partly to realize that this was reality. It was really happening and the attack was unstoppable. Man's instincts are based off of a sudden urge to escape the death that is crawling towards them.

In this story, bear and man have contrasting instincts. The bear has instincts that allow him to keep living in his surroundings despite the intruders. The man has instincts that are based on what is the best hope of escaping death at the time. His instincts are

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