White fang s second master, beauty smith, inspires nothing but hatred, for he is a mean, violent, and cruel man. Breakfast eaten and the slim campoutfit lashed to the sled, the men turned their backs on the cheery fire and launched out into the darkness. Dark spruce forest frowned on either side of the frozen waterway. Weedon smith, white fang s third master, is a total contrast to the first two, for he is a kind and gentle man who gives the wolfdog affection and teaches him to love. One of the overriding themes in white fang is the lifeordeath struggle that man and animals facenot only in the wild, but also in civilization. Summary read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of white fang. The theme was much on the minds of 19thcentury readers and thinkers. Learn and understand all of the themes found in white fang, such as survival of the fittest.
But white fang does not stay close to mitsah when they camp, so all the dogs attack him, and he returns their attacks. White fang theme analysisstudy questions by jack london. The vocabulary of white fang may be challenging for youngsters, english learners, andor developing readers. White fang is a novel by american author jack london 18761916 and the name of the book s eponymous character, a wild wolfdog. White fang by jack london is one of the best books ever written. White fang is a novel that takes place in the yukon territory during the gold rush of the 1890s, and the theme relates to the conditions of life in that setting. White fang by jack london book summary minute book. Tweet about the white fang book notes email the white fang book notes to a friend. Thus it was that in obedience to the law laid down by his mother, and in obedience to the law of that unknown and nameless thing, fear, he kept away from the mouth of the cave. The story takes place in yukon territory and the northwest territories, canada, during the 1890s klondike gold rush and details white fang s journey to.
There at the fort, white fang becomes famous for his ferocious ability to kill other dogs, and he is sought after by a vicious, ugly man named, ironically, beauty smith, who, by using trickery and alcohol, is able to trick gray beaver into selling white fang to him. Free download or read online white fang pdf epub book. London comes down on the side of nurture as being the more powerful force. The struggle for survival white fangs wild northland is a harsh and merciless place, where every living being struggles to survive.
Oct 19, 2015 this is a quick book summary of white fang by jack london. White fang is the story of a wolf dog that is rescued from its brutal owner and gradually becomes domesticated white fang, novel by jack london, published in 1906. White fang cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. Jack london write many books with darwins popular ideas in mind. Chapterindexed hypertext ebooks and discussion group for white fang by jack london. White fang examines the violent world of wild animals and the equally violent world of humans. White fang thus finds retribution for liplips bullying. Read white fang, by author jack london page by page, now.
Pdf white fang book by jack london free download 252 pages. Both convey powerful themes of redemption and survival that continue to affect readers even today. White fang symbols from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Chapter ii the bondagethe days were thronged with experience for white fang. The major theme of the novel is that love begets love. Jack london uses his unique style of writing to describe the animals and their surrounding in a very interesting manner. Welcome to our website of the literary analysis of white fang. It was written long ago, in 1906, but its still read by kids everywhere today. Throughout the novel, white fang struggles to reconcile his feral instincts with the expectations of the domestic world, highlighting the conflict. A discussion of the white fang themes running throughout white fang.
Lastly, the harsh themes are anything but childish. The novels are in fact mirror images of one another, as call of the wild depicts bucks journey from domestic to wild dog, while white fang recounts white fang s transformation from wild beast to domestic companion. Books similar to the call of the wild, white fang and other. The overarching theme of the novel is that heredity and environment each contribute to white fang s fate. White fang starts competing when hes just a puppy and doesnt stop until the very end of the book. This lesson will teach you all about what happens in the book. But then, it shows how love and patience can conquer and tame that primitive spirit. Here we will analyze the book by looking at the background information, theme of the book, authors purpose of writing, character analysis, litherary techniques of the author, and summary of the plot of the bhook. The book also explores complex themes including morality and. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 252 pages and is available in paperback format. He becomes so vicious that gray beaver swears that there has. Themes and colors litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in white fang, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. He becomes so vicious that gray beaver swears that there has never been a dog so vicious as white fang. White fang was written during the courtship and marriage of london to charmian kittredge.
I hope you now agree, or at least understand, why i believe white fang is the better of the two. First serialized in outing magazine, it was published in 1906. At such times, confronted by three sets of savage teeth, the young wolf stopped precipitately, throwing himself back on his haunches, with forelegs stiff, mouth menacing, and mane bristling. White fang, part dog, part wolf, is the main character of the book, most of which explains his life from his point of view but by way of a narrator. This group was followed by a pack of famished wolves. The call of the wild, white fang, and other stories oxford worlds classics is a group of exciting adventure stories of dogs and life in alaska. Influences of white fang cliffsnotes study guides book. White fang expresses his feelings through barks, growls, and howls. Nov 20, 2012 the book also explores complex themes including morality and redemption. Summary white fang starts out with 2 men and a group of 6 sled dogs traveling across the arctic with a dead man in a coffin. I read it when i was younger, and i remembered enjoying it. Jack london, quote from white fang but the wild is the wild, and motherhood is motherhood, at all times fiercely protective whether in the wild or out of it. The main characters of this fiction, adventure story are white fang. About a halfcentury later, london publishes this novel, which may be read as a taking to task of such social darwinism.
Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in white fang, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. White fang cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. The style of naturalism in white fang by jack london. The idea of the survival of the fittest is introduced well before white fang is even conceived. Analysis of white fang by jack london english literature. Its pretty much who he is, and the fact that hes good at it is. Not for its writing, or plot, or style, but for its deep, inextricable themes of. This quote from author jack londons novel, white fang, portrays the style of naturalism and the theme of natural selection and survival of the fittest. As white fang learns to love weedon scott, this love produces a desire in the dog to do anything to please his love master. Kiche uses her superior intelligence to help lure dogs away from the sled team. It has lots of action, and it is a wellknown classic. What is the main message in white fang 1802302 ence. White fang is a bitter, vicious dog and is made worse when mitsah puts him at the front of the pack. At once began to rise the cries that were fiercely sad cries that called through the darkness and cold to one another and answered back.
White fang by jack london book summary minute book report. Part v reflects how love can tame natural behavior and instincts. This is a quick book summary of white fang by jack london. The theme of white fang has to do with the fact that white fang becomes rough and dangerous after being abused and being in the wild. White fang wisehouse classics with original illustrations. In the harsh wild described in the novels opening pages, death seems. Consequently, in these two novels and in other works by london, the idea of a struggle for survival among hostile or unknown forces is one of the. Choose one theme found in white fang and analyze its development for the class. He quickly came to know much of the ways of the mananimals, but familiarity did not breed contempt.
White fang is quite successful, and one day upon encountering liplip, also successfully and fatally challenges liplip. Then she asks you to determine the authors purpose for this quote by henry david thoreau. On one level, it could be read as an adventure story, but instances of cruelty are so frequent that this is plainly a major subject for the author. White fang themes by jack london study guide free online. During the time that kiche was tied by the stick, he ran about over all the camp, inquiring, investigating, learning. Though white fang often snarls at his humans and animals adversaries, he develops a low and steady growl to show affection towards scott and read full symbol analysis. Dec 11, 2011 what was your favorite book growing up.
One central theme with which london seems preoccupied in white fang is the theme of the nature of life. When famine strikes, however, they and some other dogs from camp, such as kiche, strike out on their own to find food in the wild. The book also explores complex themes including morality and redemption. White fang is sneaky, but hes not really deceitful. What is the theme of the book white fang by jack london. The novel was intended as a companion piece to the call of the wild 1903, in which a domesticated dog reverts to a wild state. The first edition of the novel was published in may 1906, and was written by jack london. The world of men is an illusion, and white fangs time in the wild help him survive dangers that men think they have evolved past. White fang has been adapted for the screen numerous times, including a. By the end of the book, white fang has submitted totally to his kind master and will doing anything to protect him and his family. This study guide consists of approximately 36 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of white fang.
He used the theme of a dog breeding with wolves in call of the wild. Likewise, in white fang, the only cub of the five in the litter to survive is white fang again because of the survival of the fittest theory and, by implication, the elimination of the weakest. So while human characters could lie or deceive with their words, their actions tell us exactly who they are, be they gigantic creeps or angelic heroes. White fang was written during the courtship and marriage of london to charmian kittredge and a romantic theme is part of the novel. Books similar to the call of the wild, white fang and. Throughout white fang, jack london uses the theme of naturalism. If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. White fang is a novel by jack london that was first published in 1906. White fang has been adapted for the screen numerous times, including a 1991 film starring ethan hawke. He describes it so well that you can imagine the beautiful surroundings in your mind and its so beautiful that you want to visit it. Is alligator tears an acceptable variant of crocodile tears. Make sure to include textual evidence and explain how the theme is shaped by other elements character, setting, plot events, etc. This classic tale is about a violent, morose, and suspicious wolfdog who is tamed by the love and kindness of his gentle master.
In tone as well as in theme, white fang is significantly more naturalistic than the earlier book, and londons opening description of setting is as effective as anything he ever wrote in this vein. We know beauty is a giant jerk because he beats white fang. The overarching theme of the novel is that heredity and environment each contribute to white fangs fate. Dec 29, 2009 he had lived where dogs were necessary. Learn and understand all of the themes found in white fang, such as survival of the. Because london doesnt go into a great deal of detail in his book, we have to glean what the characters are like by their actions.
We have gone over both how these two books, white fang and the call of the wild. This classic tale is about a violent, morose, and suspicious wolfdog who is tamed by the love and kindness. Jun 26, 2019 white fang is not necessarily a kids book. In white fang, competition appears in its most oldschool, biological sense. White fang themes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Furthermore, the plot does not follow a typical narrative structure. Feb 08, 2011 the theme of white fang has to do with the fact that white fang becomes rough and dangerous after being abused and being in the wild. White fang was written during the courtship and marriage of. White fangs story is about escaping the natural world and coming safely to the world of men. Here it means fighting over food, resources, and in many cases, the ability to go on living.
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