Abstract This paper examines how personal tragedy can often be an inspiration, how writing can serve as a reflection of events as well as therapy in many circumstances, and how one writer who displays such an example in his writing is JackLondon. It attempts to show that, while London's writing is often overlooked, it should rather be considered a staple in the canon of American literature for its clarity and significant messages regarding man and his place in the world. It explores how London's personal experiences influenced his writing and, therefore, explains why his stories are important in modern literature.
From the Paper "London's youth may have impacted him in a negative way that he was never completely able to overcome, but he did not allow this to stop him from writing. Rothberg describes London as an alcoholic who "destroyed his own talent" (Rothberg 1). He wanted desperately to be a success in business and failed much like Mark Twain. He makes a "brilliant beginning and then cannot develop from there" (1). London witnessed a pattern of failure experienced by his parents, who were always trying get-rich-quick schemes that forced them to move all over the San Francisco Bay area. Rothberg asserts that this pattern of "failure and flight" (2) scarred London permanently. In addition, London was illegitimate and this knowledge "weighed heavily" on him and, according to Rothberg, "was one of the most important factors in shaping his personality" (3). London died of a self-administered overdose of morphine, which was used to treat the pain of nephritis, caused by alcoholism."
Abstract JackLondon was a creative American novelist and short story author whose works deal romantically with the overwhelming power of nature and the struggle for survival. This paper examines how his literature falls into the category of naturalism, since typical naturalist fiction places the human, a creature living by survival instincts, against a cruel world. It also discusses how through his literature such as "The Call of the Wild", London perpetuated the vision that for man to survive he must fight his environment.
From the Paper "Fascinated with the Arctic region, London developed what has been called his code of the North. To survive, one must be as harsh as external conditions, and one achieves such toughness by imposing an austere discipline on oneself. Deeds are far more significant than words. One must shun pride and arrogance and must be unselfish and tolerant. When the individual reaches this level of personal advancement, he or she can be elevated into a mythical space beyond civilization and the material world. For instance, Buck, after surviving human brutality, numerous fights with other animals, and the harsh exigencies of nature, heads off into this primordial paradise at the end of the novel, a prime illustration of how Naturalism sometimes resembles Romanticism."
Abstract This paper examines how two most notable authors JackLondon and Gary Paulson, both discuss in their work, nature as a force that human beings must fight with, rather than be a natural and uncontested part of. It analyzes how JackLondon's "The Call of the Wild", along with his famous short story, ?To Build a Fire,? both revolve around the fight of human beings to survive in a harsh, natural world that seems unnatural to civilized creatures because of its cold and extremity. It shows how although Gary Paulson is a contemporary author, his work "Brian's Song" is, despite the two author's different personal experiences and the separation of so many years of literary time, is nearly identical in its concerns to London's works.
From the Paper "In London's work, human beings are always clearly pitted against nature in a struggle. London did not view nature in a romantic vision. Human beings were not part of nature in the sense that the natural world supports their development and survival, like the civilized world. Human beings are part of the wilderness in that they are, like the dog Buck, forced to resort to their primal instincts when in the cold, when fighting against elemental forces. They are war with other creatures for their very survival as well, as the wilderness is full of predators. In London's works, human beings are not "reflected" in nature's wilderness. Rather nature offers a proving ground for humanity, an opportunity for human beings to demonstrate animal intelligence and cunning."
Abstract This paper examines the life and writings of JackLondon, born in San Francisco in 1876. It discusses his contributions to literary cannon and the major happenings during his life. Some of his works discussed include "Son of the Wolf" and "Call of the Wild".
From the Paper "Jack wrote of the Polynesian people and culture of the islands, breaking the curse and popularizing Hawaii as a beautiful and pristine landscape with many natural phenomena. This untitled writing, which Jack published in many newspapers and tourist booklets proved to dispel the leprosy theory and catapulted Hawaii as a major tourist attraction."
Abstract This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the short story "Where I'm Calling From," by Raymond Carver. Specifically, it compares this work with "To Build a Fire," by JackLondon. The author illustrates how as a recovering alcoholic, Carver had a unique outlook on life, and his characters show it with their ironies and quirks. Because of this, each character brings something special to the story and to the reader's attention.
From the Paper "Raymond Carver wrote from the time he was a young man until his death at 50 in 1988. He wrote of his own experiences as an alcoholic, young father, and blue-collar worker. His writing was always classified as postmodern, however, as with most authors, his writing changed from his early work to his later works. "The surfaces of Carver's stories look calm and banal, but especially his portrayals of marriage problems are full of emotional tension, hidden memories, wounds, longing, hate, anxiety, and melancholy" (Liukkonen). In "On Writing," Carver said of his own work, "But a unique and exact way of looking at things, and finding the right context for expressing that way of looking, that's something else" (Carver 13). He did not seem to think he had this talent, but the characters in his stories disprove it, especially the characters in "Where I'm Calling From.""
Tags: raymon, carver, jack, london, build, fire, alcoholic, story
Abstract This paper explains that JackLondon's works have received praise for their vivid descriptions of nature, and of the Klondike Territory in particular, and his works generally deal with the theme of the individual in opposition to an amoral, natural world. The author points out that an interesting perception of the inner logic that functions within London's work is the analogy to modern sports; the elements within the ethos of modern sports form a foundational perspective for understanding the works. The paper reveals that one of the most important aspects of London's work is the "discontinuity" that is revealed between man and nature and between civilization and instinct, which is particularly true with regard to the work, "To Build a Fire", where civilization and society are brought into extreme contrast with nature.
From the Paper "Howard makes an important point to aid our understanding of naturalism in that naturalism contains within it some essential assumptions; one of the most important being that of "reality" as an external referential environment that is unquestioned. This runs counter to post-modern theoretical stance, which sees reality as relative and determined by the individual's perception. The critical literature also emphasizes an exploration of London's work from a socio-cultural and more time bound point of view."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the life of JackLondon, an extremely successful author who has been described as one of the best selling America writers in the world during the early 20th century. The paper discusses how London possessed an uncanny understanding of nature and the confrontation between nature and man. The paper then reviews London's book, 'Martin Eden'.
From the Paper "There are two aspects that fascinate about this novel. The first is that through the main character we encounter London's own internal struggle as an artist and writer living in the bourgeoisie society of the time. There is throughout the novel a thread of tension between the need for acceptance and the desire to be recognized as an individual without the restraints of convention and norms. This psychological dilemma is also a reflection of sociological aspects in the view that it provides of the class division and struggle in the early twentieth century. Some of the most important and poignant parts of the book is where Martin Eden sees through the hypocrisy of the norms and conventions of the world when he is lauded for the very works that were initially rejected by the publishers. He becomes aware of the falsity and emptiness of social acclaim and success."
Abstract The paper traces the life of JackLondon, looking at the books he wrote and where he found the inspiration for his writing about the natural world and animals. The paper also brings to light the interests in his life, such as sailing and the outdoors.
From the Paper "London became very wealthy at this point in his life, but spent the money almost as quickly as he received it. Spending thirty thousand dollars on a ship name the Snarck, and eighty thousand dollars on a mansion called the Wolf House. On the night of completion an unknown arsonist burned it down, sadly enough the house was not insured. He also lent many people money, which he never got back. Meanwhile, he had an appendectomy done and was warned about kidney problems. In 1907, London and his wife went on a voyage around the world on the Snarck. While sailing around the world he started writing Martin Eden. The Journey abruptly ended in Australia and London had very little money. To survive he bought plots for stories from Sinclair Lewis, a young struggling writer. Jack London was the most famous author in America but didn"t have enough money to support him and his family. Soon after, he began drinking heavily and cheating on his wife, therefore, he couldn"t hide his depression any longer. London took morphine to ease his pain and at the age of forty he was questioning his own sanity (www.online-literature.com)."
Abstract This paper describes the plot in JackLondon's story "To Build a Fire" and explains how its plot works to create the main character in the story. The paper summarizes the story and explains how, through the plot, the character finally recognizes that he was wrong and should have heeded the advice of the more experienced travelers.
From the Paper "We are told that the man is spending his first winter in Alaska, and the cold does not really register in his mind, for he has no imagination. He understands the things in life, but not the significance of the effect these things will have on him. He knows it is very cold outside, but he does not understand that it could be a matter of life and death. He has his coat, his mittens and earflaps for protection, and matches and bark to build a fire, but he does not realize that perhaps these few items will not be enough to save him from the bitter cold."
Tags: grey, yukon, newcomer, territory, knowledgeable, outdoors, extended, period, time
This paper analyzes JackLondon's novel "Martin Eden", which is the semi-autobiographical story of a young man born into poverty who desperately wants to become financially secure and middle-class.
Abstract The paper explains that that, throughout JackLondon's "Martin Eden", the sea serves as an allegory for the ebb and flow of Eden's life sea and serves as a powerful symbol of Eden's chaotic life. The author points out that Eden is so driven by his quest to improve himself that he loses sight of who he really is. The paper reviews several chapters so that, by the end of the novel, Eden concludes that all the goals he had set for himself were either false or took him in unexpected directions and that the one true and abiding love he has had is for the sea; therefore, it is no surprise when he ends his life by drowning in the sea he loved so much.
From the Paper "By Chapter 11, Eden has embarked on his journey of self-improvement and has enrolled in classes. He also plans to use the stories he is writing to demonstrate to Ruth that he is serious about writing, so she will take him seriously. Even in his physics class, Eden is drawn to the sea, where he sees order in chaos: "..." Unfortunately for Eden, life does not follow the laws of physics, and the sea is only predictable when calm. This incident also foreshadows how the sea, and his tumultuous life, is going to disappoint him. Eden has idealized his memories of the sea, imagining tropical islands with scant attention to cold and forbidding waters, and now he imagines that the sea can be mastered, just as he thinks he can happily re-invent himself as a middle class young man."
Abstract This paper explains that, in JackLondon'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."
Abstract This paper is a critical analysis of the theme of "the primordial wilderness" in JackLondon's novel, Call of the Wild. The theme of the paper concentrates on whether the character of Buck willingly heeds the call of the wilderness or is driven to experience it out of necessity.
Abstract This paper will cover a character analysis of the books "Animal Farm" by George Orwell and "Call of the Wild" by JackLondon. The analysis will be to compare and contrast one major protagonist or one major antagonist from each book. Also, this paper will demonstrate and integrate human development concepts such as socio-emotional, cognitive and/or physical development: gender, intimacy and sexuality issues that the characters encounter within the book. Also, symbolism will be covered along with other literary applications that are apparent within the characters of both tales.
Abstract This paper discusses how in his stories "At The Rainbow's End", and "The White Silence", JackLondon shows the awe-inspiring beauty of the frozen wilderness that he himself had so briefly visited. It looks at how he describes to us the vast, remote iciness that man dared to enter, and the disastrous results when nature proves in no uncertain terms that it will triumph over Man in his fight for survival.
From the Paper "In his story "At The Rainbow's End", Jack continues relating his fascination with Nature and the lessons he learned in the frozen North. He tells a tale of Montana Kid, who had tired of Idaho and civilization and made a run for the new frontier. "True, the new territory was mostly barren; but its several hundred thousand square miles of frigidity at least gave breathing space to those who else would have suffocated at home" ("At The Rainbow's End"). Montana Kid was a hustler and gets into several scrapes after stealing from other men's camps. But he eventually ran out of luck, and misfortune became his companion. He spent time alone in the wilderness, and then he made a trip to Dawson and exchanged news of local events with the townsfolk. The discussion was mainly about how quickly men were lost in a multitude of disasters. "
This paper explores how nature is portrayed in different literary works by such authors as Elizabeth Bishop, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Oliver Wendell Holmes, JackLondon, Patrick Meyer, Henry David Thoreau and William Wordsworth.
Abstract This paper compares and contrast how nature is portrayed in a variety of literary works. The works included in this paper are Elizabeth Bishop's ?The Fish,? Ralph Waldo Emerson's ?Nature,? Oliver Wendell Holmes's ?The Chambered Nautilus,? and Patrick Meyer's ?K2," JackLondon's "To Build A Fire," Henry David Thoreau's "Walden, Or Life in the Woods" and William Wordsworth''s ?The World is Too Much With Us." Some of the topics discussed include cruelty in nature, man's relationship with nature, the different elements of nature, the Romantic and Transcendentalist view of nature and the true communing of individual soul with nature. The paper concludes with the author tying all of these topics together by illustrating the similarities between human nature and nature itself.
From the Paper "Emerson is most concerned about how Emerson sees nature, and would like to see nature better as an American. Emerson does not consider that while observing nature everyone is not only changed internally by nature, whether by cold or by beauty, but also that the observer changes nature itself, even in as simple as something as walking through the perfect and untrodden snow. Just as animal life impacts and is impacted by nature; human beings exist a part of nature and are subject to natural forces. These forces include but are not limited to cold, illness, injury, death, birth, and seasonal extremes. The metaphor of the only observing eyeball denies such an impact."
Tags: wordsworth, emerson, holmes, thoreau, bishop, london
