Jack London 1876 1916 Mother was unmarried wealthy

Jack London 1876 -1916

• Mother was unmarried; wealthy • She married the year Jack was born; working class, but not impoverished • Jack was raised by an ex-slave; his mom was ill • Worked at various hard labor jobs…. pirated for oysters, captured poachers, worked on a sealing ship • Boy Socialist of Oakland

• Read constantly • Decided to write so he could escape factory work • Spent the winter of 1897 in the Yukon so he could begin to write seriously • Best known for Call of the Wild written in 1903

London used his popularity to endorse socialism, women’s suffrage, and prohibition. Naturalist – • Scientific view of life • No supernatural • Evolutionary view • Pessimistic Socialist • Advocates public or common ownership • however, he believed in individual achievement and success Personally – • Married twice • 2 daughters • Died at 40 of kidney disease • Rumors say he was an alcoholic

Chapter One Notes: • Setting – • 1800 s • Klondike Gold Rush • Gilded Age • Characters: • Protagonist – Buck • His first lesson – law of the club, man is to be obeyed if not conciliated • Man in the red sweater – undeveloped, but important • Red represents savagery • Point of View – 3 rd person • Knowledge – limited • Attitude – none? • Novel characteristics: • Narration; not much dialog • Alliteration • Anthropomorphism v. personification • A. = attaching human characteristics to an animal • P. = attaching human characteristics to a inanimate object

Add ons…. . Vocab: • Veranda (1) • Aresian well (2) • Demesne (2) • Paddocks (3) • Imperiously (3) • Progeny (4) • Hydrophoby (6) • Unkempt (7) • Waxed (7) • Cayuses (10) • Soliloquized (10) • Conciliated (11) Characters: • Manuel • Judge Miller • Toots • Ysabel • Buck • Man in red sweater Perrault Francois Curly Spitzbergen dog Dave

Chapter Two Notes: Conflict between Buck and Spitz begins Lessons learned: • Buck now learns the law of club and fang • Man with club is lawgiver and to be obeyed • Wolf manner of fighting üNo fair play üCircle üFirst one down is dead

Buck begins retrogression: Physical – • Eating habits change • Body toughens and becomes fit • Lives on little food • Begins to adapt to living conditions Moral – • Will steal • Learns to be sly and cunning • Blames others • Avoids all fights he knows he cannot win Instincts revive – Survival is all important

Chapter Two Vocabulary and Characters: Vocab: • Primordial • Vicarious • Wheeler • Traces • Malignant • Consternation • Ignominiously • Harking • Malingerer Characters: Billee Joe Sol-leks Pike Dub

Chapter 3 Notes…. • London creates suspense by • Foreshadowing fight • Delaying fight • Dolly goes mad/hydrophobia (rabies) • BUCK becomes an idealistic character • Survives attack • Survives environment • Survives change in his life • Is stronger, more cunning, and smarter

Chapter 3 notes, cont. • Explanation of blood lust – the joy of the kill • Author ties it to both civilized and primitive – where? • “most alive when next to death” (paradox) • Buck wins fight with Spitz for one reason: • imagination • becomes dominate primordial beast • first conflict in novel to reach climax and denouement Vocab: score (20) slavered (drooling) wont (usual) weazened (wrinkled, thin) inexorable (relentless) Characters: Dolly

Chapter 4 Notes Buck assumes leadership of the team - forces Francois and Perrault to acknowledge superiority Interlude chapter: -between conflicts -between owners of dog team Theme of atavism introduced -the hairy man -reversion to primordial time

Devotion of dogs to their work; shown in Dave’s ordeal 19 th century controversy is highlighted -evolutionism v. creationism -London’s belief is evident thru atavism Vocab: Atavism – the reappearance in an individual of characteristics of some remote ancestor that have been absent in intervening generations

Chapter 5 Notes…. • Introduces Buck’s new owners • 2 nd new conflict in novel • Concepts of good v. evil clearly presented Evil Good Hal, Charles, Mercedees John Thornton civilized simple corrupted pure weak primitive won’t adaptable London continues to manipulate readers • H, C, and M seem cruel, ridiculous • Undeveloped characters, but some characteristics show personality • Ex: Charles – weak – watery eyes – limply, drooping lips

Chapter 6 Notes… This chapter is the weak section of the book ---another interlude --- between conflicts in C. 5 and C. 7 Buck is ‘super dog’ Feats are more incredible Idealistic quality presented again and again Buck’s total love and devotion to John Thornton presented Rounds out his character --- he is brutal, savage, cunning, strong, primitive, and also capable of love and devotion Perfect living being