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J ack London 1876-1916

J ack 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

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J ack London 1876-1916

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  1. Jack London 1876-1916

  2. 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

  3. 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

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

  5. Chapter One Notes: • Setting – • 1800s • 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 – 3rd 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

  6. 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 Perrault • Judge Miller Francois • Toots Curly • YsabelSpitzbergen dog • Buck Dave • Man in red sweater

  7. 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 • No fair play • Circle • First one down is dead

  8. 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

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

  10. 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

  11. 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: Characters: • score (20) Dolly • slavered (drooling) • wont (usual) • weazened (wrinkled, thin) • inexorable (relentless)

  12. 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

  13. Devotion of dogs to their work; shown in Dave’s ordeal 19th 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

  14. Chapter 5 Notes…. • Introduces Buck’s new owners • 2nd new conflict in novel • Concepts of good v. evil clearly presented • EvilGood • Hal, Charles, MercedeesJohn Thornton • civilized simple • corrupted pure • weak primitive • won’t adapt 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

  15. 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

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