Jack London

1876-1916

How old was he when he died?

Family

• Born in San Francisco• Father William Chaney: astrologer• Mother Flora Wellman: “cold”• Step-father John London: poor farmer• Helped by step-sister and servant “Aunt Jenny”• Went to work at 10 years old• Quit school at 15 to work full-time in factory

(salmon cannery)• Used books to escape life

Life of Adventure

• Several odd jobs—many of them at sea Oyster pirate Fish patrol Seaman on sealing schooner• Returned to high school at 19—passed

entrance exam to U of Ca @ Berkley One semester Lacked finances

Klondike Gold Rush

• Joined the gold rush to help support his mom after John London died

• Staked a claim, found “fool’s gold,” abandoned claim. Real gold later discovered on the claim.

• Returned home because of illness (scurvy)

• Ideas for writing gained here

Political Ideas

• Arrested for vagrancy in 1894-one month in jail; arrested a second time

• Ran for school board once, mayor of Oakland twice

• Fought for poor—Socialist

• Shared wealth—never quit working; worried about money

Finally earned money writing

• Published over 50 volumes, including 20 novels, three plays; letter writer; speaker

• Call of the Wild/The Sea Wolf

• “Great Earthquake and Fire” (San Francisco) written for Collier’s magazine paid 25 cents/word-2500 word article

Adult/Family Life

Married

• Bessie May Madden-April 7, 1900

• Later divorced (1905)—different interests

Children

• Joan—born January 15,1901

• Bess—born October 20,1902

• Third child died at birth

Married (2nd time)

• Charmain Kitterage-November 19, 1905

• Adventures at sea together

• Built large ranch in California

Jack London’s Admonition

• Write what you see!

Jack London’s Style

• Helps reader become involved because he experienced what he wrote about

• Used vivid language Adverbs Adjectives Unusual word order Repetition• Stories are based on experiences-reality based• Life and death situations; internal and external

conflicts

Primary Source

• Eyewitness Accounts—autobiography

• Diaries, letters, news accounts, photos, art

Secondary Source

• Written by someone with no direct experience with events of person’s life

• Using information from other sources

Feature Story

• Includes facts about an event or topic – a news story, primary or secondary source

• Includes personal observations about the same topic – a primary source

• Includes reflections and opinions of the author – similar to an essay

Conflicts

• Man v. Man– Conflict between the antagonist and protagonist;

external conflict.

• Man v. Nature– Man struggles against natural forces, like weather or

animals; external conflict.

• Man v. Self– Internal conflict, man struggles to overcome

something within himself.

• Man v. Society– Man struggles against accepted social norms

Protagonist

• A protagonist is the central character or hero in a narrative or a drama, usually the one with whom the audience tends to identify. Anne Frank is the protagonist in The Diary of Anne Frank.

Antagonist

• In a story, the antagonist is a force working against the protagonist, or main character;

• an antagonist can be another character, society, a force of nature, or even a force within the main character. In “The King of Mazy May,” the claim jumpers are antagonists.