Julie of the Wolves

by

Jean Craighead George

Mrs. Franklin Character Analysis

Mrs. Franklin is Miyax’s teacher. At the beginning of the book, Miyax recalls Mrs. Franklin’s explanation for the sudden absence of lemmings (a type of rodent) in Alaska. According to Mrs. Franklin, lemmings’ bloodstreams contain a chemical similar to antifreeze that keeps them active in the winter. When there are too many lemmings, they become anxious, which causes the chemical to build up, and the lemmings to die. Mrs. Franklin’s explanation for the lemmings’ disappearance is quite different from Kapugen’s, which simply offers that “the hour of the lemming is over for four years.” These opposing explanations—one desperate to explain the lemmings’ disappearance with science, and the other accepting of nature’s natural rhythm—represent the opposing cultures of the gussaks (non-indigenous people) and the Inuit.
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Mrs. Franklin Character Timeline in Julie of the Wolves

The timeline below shows where the character Mrs. Franklin appears in Julie of the Wolves. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1: Amaroq, the wolf
Humans vs. Nature  Theme Icon
Memory and Disillusionment  Theme Icon
Community and Survival  Theme Icon
Tradition vs. Assimilation  Theme Icon
...luck finding food. All the lemmings in the area had disappeared last winter. Her teacher Mrs. Franklin had explained that the rodents have a special chemical in their bloodstream to help them... (full context)