‘Howl’

Summary

• The chapter, titled "Howl", expresses the narrator's struggle under various pressures-- societal, imposed by the music industry and by fear.
• The chapter uses metaphorical language and imagines the protagonist as a girl, running aimlessly in a wintry forest, surrounded by wolves representing these pressures.
• The girl is asked to conform to the expectations of others who want to control her body and soul and force her to put up a facade of happiness despite her inner turmoil. This could be interpreted as a critique of the music industry.
• The repeated verses "Howl, into the night, Howl, until the light, Howl, your turn to fight, Howl, just make it right", symbolizes the girl's fight against these pressures, her outcry against society's expectations, until the arrival of morning light, which represents hope and a fresh start.
• The speaker reminisces about a time during youth when they were carefree and did not dread the future or lament over the past, when life was lived in the present moment. This represents a longing for simpler times.
• Despite acknowledging that the situation is currently grim, the speaker still maintains an element of hope, by articulating that life cannot be considered to be over when it hasn't begun and encourages the girl, and by extension, the readers, to hold on.
• The end of the chapter reinforces the importance of authenticity — by silencing the music that doesn't represent one's true self and by not maintaining a facade, using the metaphor of fake smiles. Instead, it inspires the girl to express her true self, represented by howling at the moon.
• The repeated verses of "howl, howl, howl, howl" signifies a continuous struggle and resistance against societal pressures.