Bibliography On Jack London Essay, Research Paper
Biography on Jack London The Sea-Wolf a superlative book written by someone who was raised from the slums of San Francisco and a once boat pirate. Who could have had such a harsh and interesting life? Jack London, born in the year 1876 in the slums and ghettos of San Francisco, was forced to leave school after 8th grade by poverty. He spent the rest of his teenage years as an oyster gatherer, fisherman, explorer of the great north as well as a pirate, a seaman, a Yukon prospector, and a tramp.(McGraw). The turning point of his life was a thirty-day imprisonment that was so degrading it made him decide to turn to education and pursue a career in writing.(Microsoft). Now we know that Jack London, whose life symbolized the power of will, was the most successful writer in America in the early 20th Century. (London.com). He fought his way up out of the factories and waterfront dives of Oakland to become most popular novelist and short story writer of his day. He wrote passionately and prolifically about the great questions of life and death, the struggle to survive with dignity and integrity, and he wove these elemental ideas into stories of high adventure based on his own firsthand experiences at sea. As a result, his writing appealed not to the few, but to millions of people all around the world.(rev). Along with his books and stories, however, Jack London was widely known for his personal exploits. He was a celebrity, a colorful and controversial personality who was often in the news. Generally fun loving and playful, he could also be combative, and was quick to side with the underdog against injustice or oppression of any kind. He was a fiery and eloquent public speaker, and much sought after as a lecturer on socialism and other economic and political topics. Despite his avowed socialism, most people considered him a living symbol of rugged individualism, a man whose fabulous success was due not to special favor of any kind, but to a combination of unusual mental ability and immense vitality.(Collier s)After marriage and one year of education at the University of California, he devoted himself completely to writing. Magazine pieces and novels came steadily. The subject matter depended on his conflicting of ideas: his growing knowledge of the plight of the masses burdened one side of his heart, his passion of individualism burdened the other side. London had an enormous sized fortune now after making some money off of his books. Jack and his wife Charmian London’s dream house began to take definite shape early in 1911 as Albert Farr, a well-known San Francisco architect, put their ideas on paper in the form of drawings and sketches, and then supervised the early stages of construction. It was to be a grand house – one that would remain standing for a thousand years. By August 1913, London had spent approximately $80,000 (in pre-World War I dollars), and the project was nearly complete. On August 22 final cleanup got underway and plans were laid for moving the Londons’ specially designed, custom-built furniture and other personal belongings into the mansion. That night – at 2 a. m. – word came that the house was burning. By the time the Londons arrived on the scene the house was ablaze in every corner, the roof had collapsed, and even a stack of lumber some distance away was burning. Nothing could be done.(Microsoft)
London looked on philosophically, but inside he was seriously wounded, for the loss was a crushing financial blow and the wreck of a long-cherished dream. Worse yet, he also had to face the probability that the fire had been deliberately set – perhaps by someone close to him. To this day, the mystery remains unsolved, but there are strong indications that the fire started by spontaneous combustion of oily rags which had been left in the building on that hot August night. London planned to rebuild Wolf House eventually, but at the time of his death in 1916 the house remained as it stands today, the stark but eloquent vestige of a unique and fascinating but shattered dream.(American). He spent his last few years in sadness full of despair. At the age of forty in 1916 he committed suicide. Jack London had written fifty books in fifteen years. Some of his best known titles include: The Call of the Wild and The Sea Wolf. Both are considered very important in American Literature, and are read around the world. The theme in The Sea Wolf is about how it was to live on a boat. How it is to be a sailor, and to work with seal hunters. It tells of hardships of this kind of life on the ocean. I feel that Jack London was in a way writing about his own life on a boat in the Pacific Ocean. He tells how it was to be on a ship like when he was an oyster pirate. It does not only tell about the hardships of Humphrey and the others on the Ghost, but also the hardships that Jack London had been through. Jack London tells the story through the point of view of Humphrey Van Weyden. For example, after Humphrey was saved, it told how he felt while unconscious. When awoken the person reading sees what Humphrey sees. London believes that good will always triumph over evil. He believes in strong heroes and their virtues. A man named Humphrey Van Weyden was drowning in the Pacific Ocean, when he was rescued from the dire sea by the captain, Wolf Larson, and the crew of the Ghost. The Ghost was a ship headed to Japan for seal hunting. After Humphrey was rescued he offered Wolf Larson money to bring upon the shore, but Wolf Larson made a counter offer. He offered that Humphrey would become a cabin boy, and earn money of his own rather than live off his father’s death. They go through many hardships on the Ghost together. The book in all was of such gilt-edged quality it is divertig. I felt that Humphrey in The Sea Wolf was much like Jack London’s own life. It seems like that Jack London is talking about his own hardships through Humphrey Van Weyden life in the story. For example Humphrey was made into a sailor. Jack London was an oyster pirate and owned several boats before his death. He had a legato style of writing, and everything was very assiduous. He did not use any ambiguous language. it was all very easy to understand, and with his detail you could feel what the characters were feeling. I found a great amount of detail with in it. This made the book seem more real and entertaining than that of many other books. I would surely recommend this book to all other whom like to read, and to those who do not. They should enjoy this book, and may start loving to read. This was a epic novel full of action, detail, and realism. And because of many examples of Jack London’s own life in the novel it made it more enjoyable. (Sea).
33d