By: Yanni Kevas

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The Life and Adventuresof Jack London

• By Yanni Kevas

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(No Transcript)
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Thesis Statement

• Jack Londons life was contradictory. At points
  in his life, he wrote best-selling novels using
  various philosophies as well as amazing short
  stories, but during these times, he was also an
  alcoholic, oyster pirate, hobo, gold miner, and a
  lot more. His life was a mystery, that we will
  never fully solve.

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White Fang

• White Fang, half-dog and half wolf, is destroyed
  by the cruel treatment of humans. He is hostile
  towards those that approach him. White Fang is at
  the top of the food chain, for he is the Blessed
  Wolf, and all that oppose him would never see
  the next day, but there is one thing that could
  save White Fang- human love. White Fang is slowly
  saved by this love. Eventually, White Fang
  becomes a creature of loyalty, obedience, and
  affection.

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Family Background and Early Life

• Jack London had an awkward family. He was
  constantly moving, and his parents were a total
  mess. Londons early life was hectic. He was
  deserted by his father and then raised by his
  mother, who eventually gave him up to an
  ex-slave. The ex-slaves name was Virginia
  Prentiss, and she raised London through infancy.
  Jack London eventually went on to complete grade
  school in Oakland.
• (newworldencyclopedia.org)

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Marriage

• married Bess Maddern on April 7, 1900, the same
  day The Son of the Wolf was published. They
  were friends, and Jack London even said that he
  didnt love her. He thought marrying someone he
  didnt actually love would create a successful
  marriage. In 1904, London divorced Bess, and
  married Charmian Kittredge. London called her
  mate woman, and they went on numerous trips
  together. They attempted to have children, but
  one died, and the other was a miscarriage.
• (newworldencyclopedia.org)

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Racial Views

• Jack London was a racist. He was concerned about
  Asian immigration, and wrote an essay called The
  Yellow Peril. It criticizes Asians. Although
  Jack London disliked Asians, he admired Japanese
  customs and capabilities. London portrayed
  Mexican and Hawaiian characters, as well as Asian
  characters, in his short stories. In 1910, there
  was a huge fight, and one of the competitors was
  black and the other white. Jack London said that
  he routed for Jeffries, who was the white man,
  but he praised Johnson highly. Jack Londons
  racial views are not evident in his novels, but
  are common in his short stories.
• (wikipedia.org)

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Darwinism

• designates a distinctive form of evolutionary
  explanation for the history and diversity of life
  on Earth
• Darwinism is a type of evolution that is evident
  in The Call of the Wild and White Fang.
• (plato.stanford.edu)

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Socialism

• any of various economic and political theories
  advocating collective or governmental ownership
  and administration of the means of production and
  distribution of goods. There is no private
  property. the means of production are owned and
  controlled by the state. Socialism is morally
  corrupting, and is not very evident in Jack
  Londons writing. Londons most popular piece of
  Socialist writing is The Iron Heel. It is about a
  socialist movement in the United States, which
  would lead to an alternate future.
• (socialistviewpoint.org)

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Realism/Naturalism

• Realism and Naturalism are very closely related.
  They both render reality closely, which is like
  verisimilitude. In Realism and Naturalism,
  character is more important than the plot. Both
  ideas are in explicable relation to nature, to
  each other, to their social class, and to their
  own past. The working class is also commonly
  used in these types of novels. Lastly, they both
  involve plausible events, and diction is natural
  vernacular, which basically means that the word
  choice and dialogue reflects the setting of the
  story.
• (wsu.edu)

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Occupations

• London was in the working class, and his various
  jobs were very labor intensive. He was an oyster
  pirate on the San Francisco Bay. Jack London was
  also on a fish patrol to catch poachers. He
  sailed the Pacific on a sealing ship as well. At
  one point in his life, Jack was also a hobo. His
  most famous job, other than being an author, was
  in the Yukon where he mined for gold.
• (london.sonoma.edu)

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Gold Rush

• Jack London joined the gold rush because he was
  desperate, and he actually had to borrow money
  from his step sister to get to the Klondike. When
  Jack London got to the Klondike, he was first
  tested by a pair of rapids at Miles Canyon and
  Whitehorse. London successfully navigated the
  rapids, and helped others cross for money. Later
  during his trip, Jack was stuck at a cabin all
  winter, 75 miles away from his destination. They
  later found gold on the Stewart River. London
  said, It was in the Klondike I found myself.
  There, nobody talks. Everybody thinks. You get
  your true perspective. I got mine. I think this
  quote really resembles Londons writing style,
  which is short, simple, and direct yet very
  powerful. The Gold Rush and Londons northern
  experience influenced many of Jack Londons
  novels and short stories, such as The Call of the
  Wild and White Fang.
• (literarytraveler.com)

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Karl Marx

• Marxs essays influenced Jack London the most.
  His theories led London to advocate socialism.
  Londons longing for a socialist revolution is
  evident in The Iron Heel.
• (london.sonoma.edu)

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Ernst Haeckel

• Ernst has influenced Londons scientific
  knowledge. His theory states that the development
  of animal origin recapitulates the evolutionary
  history of its species. This theory also pertains
  to humans. Ernst also influenced Londons
  racialism. Ernst created Monism as well, which
  is the study of the world.
• (london.sonoma.edu)

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David Starr Jordan

• London and Jordan first met in Oakland where Jack
  attended Davids lectures about evolution. David
  was a major supporter of Social Darwinism, as
  well as a supporter of the eugenics movement.
  London also supported the eugenics movement and
  it was Jordan who most likely introduced it to
  him.
• (london.sonoma.edu)

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John Tyndall

• John was a supporter of Charles Darwins
  theories. He was a man of ordinary means who
  rose above his surroundings. Tyndall had a
  dynamic personality and was a role model to
  Jack London.
• (london.sonoma.edu)

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Herbert Spencer

• Spencer created the phrase survival of the
  fittest, which is a reoccurring theme in The
  Call of the Wild, White Fang, and other books
  that involve the wild. Spencer adapted the
  theory of evolution into a social system in which
  those individuals, species, or races with the
  best acquired characteristics would survive.
  Herberts writings were responsible for the rise
  of the Social Darwinism.
• (london.sonoma.edu)

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Friedrich Nietzsche

• Friedrich was a German philosopher that developed
  the superman theory. The superman was
  perfect in both mind and body. The theory is
  incorporated in Martin Eden and The Sea Wolf. At
  the end of The Call of the Wild, Buck is a
  superdog, and White Fang is a superwolf in
  the middle of the story.
• (london.sonoma.edu)

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1876-1916

• a time of major change
• Industrialization and urbanization were dominant,
  and there was also segregation and racial
  differences. workers movements responded to
  unhealthy conditions, long hours, and low pay.
  Women sought the right to vote. Reformers
  attacked a variety of concerns, and socialism
  developed. literature, art, and architecture
  flourished. The public became better educated,
  and a middle-class emerged.
• (london.sonoma.edu)

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Death

• Jack Londons death is controversial. older
  sources describe it as a suicide, some still
  do, but it is most likely a rumor. Uremia could
  also have been the cause. He was in extreme pain
  and taking morphine. a morphine overdose,
  accidental or deliberate, may have contributed.
• (readeasily.com)

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Jack Londons Writing Style

• Jack Londons novels are short, simple, and
  direct. I found an example in White Fang, and it
  says White Fang was very wise. Simple sentences
  are used commonly in Londons writing. Jacks
  naturalistic writing style also focuses on
  character development. White Fang develops into a
  regular dog, while Buck becomes a vicious beast.
  Plot is important, but not as vital as the
  characters. Setting is significant in Jack
  Londons writing as well. The setting in White
  Fang and The Call of the Wild is the Klondike.
  Jack London describes the setting using his own
  personal experiences. Verisimilitude is used a
  lot in Londons writings too.

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Conclusion

• Jack Londons life was really interesting. As a
  young boy, he grew up having to deal with crazy
  parents and lots of moving. When he grew up, he
  dealt with many jobs, including gold mining in
  the Klondike. Jack London believed in many
  philosophies, and was influenced by many people.
  Lastly, Jack London was an amazing author, and
  that is why is books are still popular today.

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Work Cited

• Tennant, Roy and Stasz, Clarice The Jack London
  Online Collection Sonoma State University
  Library 3 July 2009 Web 17 May 2011
  http//london.sonoma.edu/
• London, Jack newworldencyclopedia.org 4 August
  2007 Web 17 May 2011 http//www.newworldencyclop
  edia.org/entry/Jack_London
• Jack London wikipedia.org 23 May 2011 Web 17
  May 2011 http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_London
  
• Darwinism Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  Stanford University 19 January 2010 Web 17 May
  2011 http//plato.stanford.edu/entries/darwinism/
  
• Haigh, Ken The Spell of the Yukon Jack London
  and the Klondike Gold Rush Literary Traveler
  Web 17 May 2011 http//literarytraveler.com/liter
  ary_articles/jack_london_yukon.aspx

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