Jack London

By: Brett Hughes

Thesis Statement

• I think that Jack London uses his life experiences and feelings toward life in his stories. This is why he is a naturalist writer

Early Life

• Born in San Francisco, 1876

• Originally named John Griffith Chaney

• Essentially self educated

• His house was burned down in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake

• Worked 12-18 hours at age 11

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_London

Gold Rush

• At age 21, London traveled to Klondike to join the Gold Rush

• This was the setting of ‘Call of the Wild’

• Inspired him to make ‘Call of the Wild’

• Developed Scurvy while he was there

• His doctor Father William Judge, inspired him to make ‘To Build a Fire’

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_London

First Marriage

• Married Elizabeth Maddern in 1900

• London called Elizabeth ‘Mother-Girl’ and she called London ‘Daddy-Boy’

• Named their children Joan and Bessie (Bessie was a nickname for Elizabeth)

• Both were born in Piedmont, California

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_London

Second Marriage

• Married Charmain Kittredge in 1905

• Traveled across the world together

• Many of London’s stories were based on his trip to Hawaii

• Purchased a beauty ranch while married

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_London

Beauty Ranch

• London lived there from 1905-1916

• 1,000 acre

• Located in Glen Ellen, California

• Cost $26,450

• London died in his Winery Cottage in his Beauty Ranch

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_London

Death

• Many people think Jack died of suicide

• His death certificate says he died of uremia

• Again, died on his sleeping porch in his Winery Cottage

• Buried with his dog

• His gravestone is mossy stone

• http://jacklondons.net

White Fang Summary• The story begins before a wolf-dog hybrid is born, with two men and their sled dog team. Bill and Henry meet a pack

of wolves over several days. Finally, four more teams find Henry, after all his dogs have been eaten and Bill has been killed, after trying to shoot a wolf when the rest of the pack closes in. When the pack finally manages to bring down a moose, they split up, and the story now follows a she-wolf and her mate. The she-wolf gives birth to 5 cubs, and all but one die from hunger. One Eye is killed while trying to rob a lynx’s den for food for the she-wolf and her cub. The surviving cub and the she-wolf are left alone. Shortly after the she-wolf manages to kill all the lynx kittens, the lynx tracks her down and a vicious fight breaks out. The she-wolf eventually kills the lynx but suffers injury.

• The cub comes across five Native Americans one day, and the she-wolf comes to his rescue. Grey Beaver recognizes the she-wolf as Kiche, his brother's wolfdog, who left. Grey Beaver's brother is dead, so he takes Kiche and her cub. White Fang has a bad life in the Indian camp. The current puppy pack immediately attack him because they instinctively think he’s a wolf. He is saved by the Indians, but the pups never truly accept him. White Fang grows to become a savage, morose, solitary, and deadly fighter, "the enemy of his kind."

Recommended for Summer Reading

• White Fang

• The Sea-Wolf

• The Iron Heel

• Martin Eden

Works Cited

• "Jack London." Wikipedia. MediaWiki, 12 June 2011. Web. <http://www.wikipedia.com>.

• "Jack London Led a Busy- Active Life." The World of Jack London 2011®. The World of Jack London, 14 June 2011. Web. <http://www.jacklondons.net>.