The Sea Wolf By Jack London - 1422 Words

In Jack London’s book, The Sea Wolf, the reader has been given a very interesting view on what would be a minority in the society of the time. The book takes place on a sealing ship in the Pacific Ocean in the early 20th century. The sailors on these sealing vessels were a brutal group of men. They were frequently getting into fights with one another and behaving in a beastly manner. One would wonder though, whether or not the men are actually animals. The rest of the civilized world, at this point in time, did not behave in this beastly behavior. Perhaps, the beastly or primeval behavior is in all people and the ability to contain or smother it is what makes them human. Then would that it possible that some men are animals and others are not? For it would seem, that in this novel, that some men can control their primeval side and others cannot. Also it may be possible that one’s own self can either evolve or devolve out of or into the primeval state due to the pressure of his environment. Are men animals? This question can be a hard subject to approach today because many people have many different beliefs and experiences that would lead to them to one idea or the other. In the novel, however, there seems to be a leaning towards the idea that men are animals or rather that men can become animals. It is early in the novel that we get the description of a man looking like something of an animal. It happens when Humphrey Van Weyden, otherwise known as Hump, sees WolfShow MoreRelatedThe Sea Wolf by Jack London1219 Words   |  5 Pagesof â€Å"The Sea Wolf† The Sea Wolf by Jack London can often be seen as a controversial book. It mentions several highly disputed topics such as: morals, religion, and death. Throughout his life the aim and strategy that he used for his books often reflected his past life experiences. His once hard life enabled him to gather extraordinary details into his books that authors were often not privileged to use. The characters one encounters through the various novels, and especially â€Å"The Sea Wolf† are alsoRead More The Power of The Sea-Wolf Essay982 Words   |  4 PagesThe Power of The Sea-Wolf Jack London’s novel, The Sea-Wolf, has many different interpretations. The story can be read as a combination of the naturalistic novel and the sentimental romance, both very popular around the turn of the century. London also brings into play literary naturalism, in which human beings are characterized as just another species in nature, subject to all of Her cosmic forces. The Sea-Wolf fits almost perfectly the archetypal pattern of an initiation story. Depth andRead MoreEssay on Jack London: A Biography721 Words   |  3 PagesJack London: A Biography      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John Griffith London, better known to us as Jack London, was born to Flora Wellman January 12, 1876, in San Francisco. (Ranch Album)   His father was presumably W.H. Chaney, who left Flora after finding out she was pregnant. (Stasz, 9)   Flora met and eventually married John London on September 7, 1876 bringing Johns two other children, Ida and Eliza, into the family. (Ranch Album) Flora enlisted the help of a wet nurse and, with the help her and Eliza,Read More The Sea Wolf Essay755 Words   |  4 Pageswas a blasphemy, and there were many words. It is this lack of remorse for others that defines Wolf Larsen, the antagonist in The Seal Wolf by Jack London.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; From the beginning of the book you are introduced to the contrast of characters at hand. The feeble gentleman Humphrey Van Weydon, who is cruelly forced upon the voyage, and the devilish and somewhat divine captain Wolf Larsen. This combination of good and evil sets the stage for an amazing battle of wit and perseveranceRead More Transformation of Humphrey Van Weyden in Jack London’s The Sea Wolf1237 Words   |  5 PagesTransformation of Humphrey Van Weyden in Jack London’s The Sea Wolf Jack London’s The Sea Wolf is in some ways a philosophical text and a product of its time. The strain it puts on the reader between a social Darwinist and utilitarian perspective against that of a more idealistic one is great. Many times the character of Wolf Larsen is a more consistent articulator of the Darwinian position and seems to always be getting the upper hand argumentatively. However, it is due to a phenomenologicalRead MoreLondon s Personal Experience Of The Alaskan Gold Rush1606 Words   |  7 Pageswell-known American author, Jack London. London’s personal experience of the Alaskan Gold Rush is clearly shown in two short stories he wrote about the event, â€Å"Love of Life† and â€Å"To Build a Fire†. These two short stories demonstrate London’s vivid style through the use of figurative language, measurements, point of view, and tone; these stories and their themes about nature’s power over man are also clearly influenced by movements in literature. One of Jack London s short stories, To Build aRead MoreThe Sea Wolf And Julie Otsuka s The Buddha1396 Words   |  6 Pagesbeen covered in class have male privilege littered through them to an extent. Two of the most notable works that male privilege played a key role in were Jack London’s The Sea Wolf and Julie Otsuka’s The Buddha in the Attic. While both novels contain male privilege in them they both take pretty different approaches to the same idea. In The Sea Wolf, women are seen as frail and only fit for certain types of work, most of that work being rearing the children and taking care of the house. In The BuddhaRead MoreA Analysis of Jack London Novels2925 Words   |  12 PagesA literary Analysis of Jack London three most recognized works, Sea Wolf; The Call of the Wild; and White Fang. Jack London lived a full life, even though he died at the young age of forty. In his life time he experienced many things, and I believe that these experiences were the catalyst of his novels. Jack London was an oyster pirate, a government patrolman in San Francisco Bay, a sailor and an agrarian reformer, a seal hunter in the North Pacific and a gold prospector in the frozenRead MoreJack London and His Call of the Wild1150 Words   |  5 Pagesof the parts of his nature that were deeper than he, going back into the womb of Time. - Jack London, The Call of the Wild, Ch. 3 (Jack London Quotes). This quote summarizes the success of Jack London’s writing career in one simple sentence. London’s success and inspiration for his naturalist style can be accredited to the way in which he was raised, and his experiences during his lifetime. Jack London, was born John Griffith Chaney on January 12, 1876 near San Francisco, California. His motherRead More The Call Of Jack London Essay example2187 Words   |  9 Pages The Call Of Jack London nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;During a time when man had gold fever, and philosophical views plagued the minds of many, one man took these views and turned them into great outdoor adventures. John â€Å"Jack† Griffith London, a twentieth century author, wrote The Call of the Wild, other novels, and short stories that depict the philosophical views of the time and added adventure to them by using his own life experiences that carried thousands