Summary:
White Fang is more than just a big budget Hollywood production, it is an exceptional book written at a middle school level but enjoyable to all ages. Although a tale of dog-sledding and dog-fights, the main theme of the story is love... the love of a mother to her young, and love from dog to his master.
White Fang
by: Jack London
Most children of this generation know "White Fang" as a movie produced by Disney in the early 90's, as did I before reading this book. After finishing this engrossing document I have gained a new respect for the title: White Fang. It is more than just a big budget Hollywood production, it is an exceptional book written at a middle school level but enjoyable to all ages. Although a tale of dog-sledding and dog-fights, the main theme of the story is love- The love of a mother to her young, and love from dog to his master.
The novel opens as two men; Bill and Henry drive a dog-sled carrying the coffin of Lord Albert to be buried. Throughout their journey they along with their dogs are pursued by a pack of hungry wolves. One by one their dogs disappeared- lured by the she-wolf and eaten. As days pass the men become more weary and fearful as the wolves move closer each night. Trying to save one of his last dogs, Bill sets out after the wolf pack. Firing his last three cartridges, Bill is eaten by the wolves along with his dog. Henry is now left to fend for himself having only two dogs left of the original six. Henry, filled with paranoia, spends sleepless nights fighting the wolves with fire as they unfearingly move closer and closer. Accepting his fate, Henry gives in to the situation and falls asleep. Waking only to find that by miracle, the wolves are gone and he is surrounded by a dozen men.
The story then begins to follow the wolf pack, telling the story from the perspective of the she-wolf. It goes on to tell the love story of the pack leader, One-Eye, and the She-wolf. They became comrades, hunting, mating, and traveling together across the country, down the Mackenzie River. The she-wolf takes One-Eye on another short journey, searching for a cave. Traveling up a frozen stream, she finds it- her whelping cave. There she collapses and refuses to move, prompting One-Eye to hunt for food. He hunts for eight hours finding nothing and when he returns she-wolf has given birth to a litter of pups. With fatherly instincts, he hunts again the next day to support his newly born young. Returning with a porcupine, One-Eye is able to feed his new family.
In the litter of three male cubs and two female, there is one cub that is special. Bearing a coat very similar to his father's, this cub is much more intelligent than the other four. He soon learns that eventually he will have to pass through the wall of light that his father has entered from many times. Because One-Eye is unable to find any food, famine strikes the cave and the cubs fall into a coma due to starvation. While hunting for food, One-Eye is killed by a lynx, leaving only the She-Wolf to hunt for her cubs. Only one of her cubs is left by the time she finds food.
Each day, the cub is left alone more and more and his mother searches for food. Maturing very quickly, he becomes smarter and more daring as he ventures through the wall of light and out of the cave. Outside of the cave he encounters many new creatures and learns many valuable lessons and new fears. He falls into a river and is carried downstream where he and his mother kill and eat a weasel.
As famine strikes again, he and his mother spend most of the day looking for food. Desperate for survival, his mother manages to steal a baby lynx. Later, the mother lynx finds the cave and attacks the She-Wolf. Trying to save his mother, the cub sinks his teeth into the lynx's hind leg. He is injured when the lynx slashes his shoulder. His mother then kills the lynx but is severely injured. The cub then learns the law of the meat; that you must eat or be eaten.
On his way to the stream one day, the gray cub encounters his first man-animal and is surprised by his own passive response. The gray cub is even more surprised when his mother greets the man-animals and is called by her name Kiche. Given a new name, White fang is introduced to life in the Indian village. A life he will soon learn to hate.
On his first day in camp, White Fang strayed from his mother and was able to meet another wolf puppy Lip-Lip, who will later become White Fang's arch nemesis and enemy for life. Being the dominant puppy Lip-Lip did not like the introduction of another puppy and attacked White Fang. Though beaten in the battle White Fang's spirits were not broken, he knew this fight would not be the end of conflict. Because of Lip-Lip, White fang is forced to abandon his childhood and become a solitary figure in the camp.
Each day, White Fang's instincts grow stronger calling him out to the wild. He urges his mother to leave camp with him, escaping to the forest but the She-Wolf declines. White Fang then decides that his love for his mother is more important than his drawing to the forest. However, a short time later Gray Beaver gives Kiche to Three Eagles to settle a debt. White Fang is then left with nothing but sorrow.
With Kiche gone White Fang is left to fend for himself in the Indian village, which is not an easy feat. With many of the village dogs against him, White Fang had to become very intelligent and strong quickly. Soon, He was able to outsmart and outmuscle most of the dogs in the village. He became a vicious warrior.
The next few months are full of lessons learned, lessons that will serve him for the rest of his life. He learned to be a sled dog, he learned earned to oppress the weak and obey the strong, and he learned to work hard. With these new lessons comes new responsibility for White fang. He now has to drive his master's sled and forage for food. Over the next few years White Fang had become much larger, stronger and more intelligent. He had become leader of the pack and was feared by all his followers.
In the summer of 1898, White Fang arrives with Gray Beaver at Fort Yukon along with hundreds gold-hunters. Gray Beaver became more rich than his wildest dreams. While in Fort Yukon, White Fang's master met a man named Beauty Smith who took a great liking to his young dog. Reluctantly, White Fang was sold to Beauty and was given a new job- fighting. White Fang became a most vicious killer, fighting dogs from all around. White Fang had now achieved a reputation in the land as the Fighting Wolf and was put on exhibition until a fight was scheduled against a bulldog. In the fight with the bulldog, White Fang is severely injured and is retired as a fighter. With no more use to Beauty Smith, White Fang is then sold to two men, Weeden Scott and his master, Matt who take White Fang to their cabin and nurse him to health.
White Fang's new masters treat him with love and kindness and over time White Fang begins to love them in return. One night Scott hears noises outside and realizes that White Fang is attacking a man. Upon further examination he discovers that it is Beauty Smith armed with a chain and a club. After letting White Fang have his way with him, Scott and Matt send Beauty on his way.
Over time, Scott and Matt decide to move back home to California and to take their new pet with them. In the city, White Fang is faced with many new things. He learns to live as purely a pet, a companion to his master. With a criminal on the loose, White Fang is taught to stand guard at the front door. When the criminal does enter the Scott home, White Fang attacks and kills him, but not before he takes three bullets. Surviving the ordeal, White Fang lives a prosperous and happy life as the "Blessed Wolf"
After reading this book I gained many things, a new respect for wolves and a new love for my own dog. Jack London does an exceptional job of telling the story from the wolf's point of view, giving this story a different and much more personal perspective. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and especially to dog owners.
This is the complete article, containing 1,419 words
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page).
