Jack London's "Martin Eden"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in Jack London's "Martin Eden", the sea, which is the central thread that binds this novel together, represents that Eden is a humble man who rises to great heights on the crest of a wave but cannot maintain or support those heights. The author points out that, throughout the book, the sea is a constant reminder of Eden's past as a seafarer who has found much success as a writer but finds that fame and fortune are not all he thought they would be; thus, he returns to the sea to commit suicide because it is the place he knows best and respects the most. The paper states that some readers might think that Eden's suicide did not fit with the rest of the book, which showed him as an extremely determined and strong individual who knew how to create the future he wanted; however, having to do "hack" writing to pay the bills, he was disillusioned with his own career and with his dreams.

From the Paper:

"That is another important thread throughout the novel that ties into the element of the sea. Eden was innocent when the novel began. He was clumsy in society, his vocabulary was weak, and his social graces were nil. Yet, there was a charm about him that disappears by the end of the novel. He is no longer charming, he is passionate about his beliefs, but he has also grown beyond them intellectually. He understands more than the people he was trying so hard to impress, especially Ruth, and this realization shatters him. He discovers the woman he has put on a pedestal is really just a mere mortal, and not a very nice one at that."

More papers on Jack London's "Martin Eden":

• Book Review # 74733 : "Jack London's "Martin Eden"
• Book Review # 92554 : "'Martin Eden' by Jack London"
• Analytical Essay # 28421 : "Martin Eden"

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