The Call of the Wild
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- Novel
- Naturalism
What It’s About
The Call of the Wild turned Jack London into an overnight literary success and secured him a place among the greats of world literature. While London’s publisher was concerned that his gritty adventure story was “too true to nature” for the reading public, he was proved wrong. The first print run of 10,000 copies sold out immediately. The novel about a dog who returns to his primordial roots in the extreme, unyielding environment of the Klondike Gold Rush still draws readers young and old. Scientific debates of its time, as well as London’s political convictions, influenced The Call of the Wild heavily, leading to a wealth of possible readings and interpretations. Yet when it comes down to it, the strength and continued appeal of the book lie in its gripping adventure, which transports readers to the beautiful, unforgiving wilderness of the American North. And while many film adaptations focus on the theme of the dog as man’s faithful companion, the original is so much more than that: It is a compelling story of survival and a celebration of untamed nature.
Summary
About the Author
Jack London was born on January 12th, 1876 in San Francisco. His mother Flora Wellman split from Jack’s father and married the carpenter John London in September of the same year. Jack was given John’s surname. John London started many unsuccessful business ventures, and there was never much money for the family. In 1891, Jack graduated from grammar school and started working at a cannery. In 1893, he enlisted as a seaman aboard a sealing schooner and traveled for eight months to Hawaii, Japan and the Bering Sea. In the same year, he wrote his first short story, “Typhoon Off the Coast of Japan,” which won the first prize in a contest for young writers. In the following years, Jack hiked across the United States and Canada. In 1896, Jack briefly attended the University of California, but left after only one semester. In July, 1897, he sailed with his brother-in-law to Alaska to join the Klondike Gold Rush. Upon his return a year later, he sold his first story and published several stories, poems and essays. In 1900, he married Bessie Maddern, and over the next two years they had two children together, Joan and Bessie. However, their marriage was short-lived, and he left her in July, 1903, divorcing officially in November 1904. In 1905, he married writer Charmian Kittredge. Between 1900 and 1916 he completed more than 50 fiction and non-fiction books, hundreds of short stories and numerous articles. In 1903, he experienced overnight success with the publication of The Call of the Wild. Among his other best-known stories are White Fang, The Sea-Wolf, Martin Eden and John Barleycorn. During the same time, he started and oversaw several construction projects: his farm, Beauty Ranch, in 1905; a custom-built sailing ship, the Snark, in 1906; and his dream house, Wolf House, in 1910. The Londons continued to travel extensively, but health problems cut their last Snark voyage short. In 1914, Jack worked as a war correspondent in Mexico, but his health continued to deteriorate. He died, aged only 40, on November 22nd, 1916 of uremia.
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