White FangJack London

Facts and Information

The Author Jack LondonJack London is very famous for his stories about the North. White Fang is one of the most read and well-loved novels. The central idea in all of his stories is Man vs. Nature but in White Fang it is dog nature vs wolf nature. Although White Fang is not human the book shows the wolfish qualities of men and animals and how humans can be equally as violent and in some cases worse than wolves.

Jack London was born on January 12th, 1876 and was from Oakland, Calafornia which was then a little village by San Francisco. His father was a grocer and a bad business man and after failing at his business Jack London had to go to work at just ten years old.

London read books from the local public library because his family did not have enough money to send him to high school. At fourteen, he had to work in a fish cannery for 10-18 hours each day. London started to write for money after he won writing contestfor a story he wrote in just a few nights. He went back to school and finished his first year of college before he had to leave to help his parents. London then moved to Yukon, but found no job or ambitions there. After this failed trip to the North, London returned home and decided to write stories about the North which were very successful. Although he did not have alot of money while he was alive, London wrote many widely read novels and is known as one of the most important writers of The North.

Jack London had many life experiences and alot of jobs. These included…..

• Oyster Pirate

• A sailer and seaman

• A factory worker

• Gold prospector

• Journalist

Jack London had a strict routine of writing 1,000 words every day. He has become one of the best-selling, highest paid and one of the most popular American authors of all time. White Fang appeared first as a series in Outing magazine and was publised in 1906. The book is set in Yukon, Canada during th Klondike Gold Rush at the end of the 19th century. The story is about a wild wolfdog´s journey to domestication (becoming tame).

WILD

TAME

Plot Summary

Most of White Fang is written from the viewpoint of a canine character. It explores how animals view their world and how they view humans. White Fang looks closely at the wild world of animals and humans. It has many difficult and complex themes exploring morality and redemption.

Morality REDEMPTIONThe quality of having

good conduct or standards, being

virtuous and right learning a rule or lesson

in moral conduct.

Atonting for a fault or mistake, being rescued for doing wrong, salvation,

redeemed from guilt

Short Summary of White Fang

• Two men are out in the wild in The North when their dogs disappear. Most are eaten by a pack of wolves. They only have three bullets left when Bill, one of the men tries to save his dog. His misses his target and is eaten by the wolves. Henry is nearly eaten by the wolves but is saved and rescued by travelling men that are very close and can hear him shouting for help.

The wolves are in the middle of a famine. There is very little food. They continue on, lead by the she-wolf, and when they finally find food they split up. The she-wolf mates with one of the wolves and has pups. Only one survives after more famines and he grows up to be very strong.

They arrive at an Indian Village where the she-wolf´s master is. She is really half wolf and half dog. The master catches her and White Fang again, her pup. Soon she is sold to another Indian while White Fang stays with Gray Beaver, his mother´s master. The other dogs of the village terrorise and are very cruel to White Fang, especially one dog named Lip-Lip.

Gray Beaver

WHITE FANG

Fang is an animal or canine

tooth which is very sharp.

White Fang becomes very vicious and is encouraged by his master. He kills other dogs. Gray Beaver goes to Yukon for trade and discovers whiskey. White Fang is passed onto the trainer Beauty Smith who is a monster of a man. He fights other dogs until he meets a very strong competitor who is a bulldog and is rescued by a man named Scott.

Scott takes White Fang to Calafornia with him and White Fang learns to love his master and the master´s family and even saves Scott from a criminal that has escaped from a nearby prison. White Fang has puppies with Collie, one of the masters dogs and lives a happy life.

• White Fang- The main character of the book. His mother was half wolf-half dog. His father was full wolf. He becomes more like a dog in the Indian camp. He is naturally strong and agile but other dogs and humans are very cruel to him so he becomes an aggressive fighter and very fierce and unloved. It is only when he meets Scott, who shows alot of kindness to him that his character changes and he becomes a loving dog.

• Gray Beaver- White Fangs first and very harsh and cruel master. He shows no affection to White Fang but the

wolf respects him. He becomes addicted to alcohol and sells White Fang.

• Weeden Scott- Scott is White Fang´s first

loving and caring master. He saves

White Fang from the bulldog, brings him to Calafornia and slowly

gains White Fang´s trust and love.

White Fang ThemesNaturalism

Naturalism is a scientific viewpoint that humans and animals are victims of their environment. London describes the landscape to be of fear and desolation. There is a big struggle between White Fang´s civilised behaviour and the wild side to his personality.

Survival of The Fittest

This is the process of natural selection by Charles Darwin, that the strongest and brightest will survive. Wolf Fang is strong and intelligent and can adapt and survie but also be tamed.

RomanticismThis is a story of how love can tame natural behaviour

and instincts.

White Fang Movie Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rndLHnH8KjE

White Fang Film Adaptation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpmmN53qaBo

Happy Reading!