《荒野的呼唤》主题分析 毕业论文

【标题】《荒野的呼唤》主题分析【作者】龚琳【关键词】适者生存；人性；自然主义【指导老师】张亚军【专业】英语【正文】I. IntroductionBefore there was Hemingway, Steinbeck, Kerouac, and Mailer, there was Jack London. Perhaps no other American writer led a life as exciting as that described in his fiction. Born in San Francisco to an unwed mother from a wealthy background. Jack London grew up in the slum area of Oakland, California, a place which he later called “the cellar of society.” Born out of wedlock on January 12, 1876, he never knew his father, William Henry Chaney, who had left Jack’s mother, Flora Wellman, before Jack’s birth. On September 7, 1876, Flora Wellman married John London, from whom her son Jack took his name.By the age of fifteen, London had turned delinquent. Barely seventeen, he signed aboard the schooner Sophie Sutherland, bound for Japan and the Bering Sea. Returning from the voyage in 1894, London began to be interested in the plight of the underprivileged and working classes, so he joined a group of militant workers who were going to Washington to protest the wretched working conditions in the country, caused by the Depression of 1894. He did not reach Washington, however; he deserted this “Industrial Army” in Hannibal, Missouri, and for a time he traveled around the country as a hobo. At Niagara Falls, he was arrested for vagrancy and sentenced to the Erie County Penitentiary. He was released after thirty days, and he quickly caught the first train heading West, arriving eventually in Oakland.It was probably soon after his release from the penitentiary that London became seriously interested in politics, and as a result, he joined an Oakland branch of the Socialist Labor Party in April 1896. Then soon afterward, he enrolled as a student at the University of California at Berkeley, where he attempted to further his studies in the most influential scientific and philosophic theories of the late nineteenth century—Darwinism, Social Darwinism, Nietzscheism, and Marxism. He soon became restless, though, and he left the university during his second semester as a student. From California, he went North, to the Klondike to search for gold, and his adventures there became the basis of many stories. In fact, two of his most famous novels, The Call of the Wild and White Fang,are set in the North, and while these two novels are perhaps his most famous in the United States, London is equally well known in places outside of the United States as the author of a number of socialistic works: The Iron Heel (1908), The War of the Classes (1905), Revolution and Other Essays (1910), and The People of the Abyss (1903). London has said that The People of the Abyss was his favorite book; it is a sociological study about the worst areas of poverty in London, England’s East End and is based on London’s first-hand experiences while he lived there.Early in 1900, London married Bessie Maddern and began his career as a serious writer. He soon finished his first novel, A Daughter of the Snows, which was published in 1902, and in the summer of 1903, London met Charmian Kittredge, whom he promptly fell in love with and abruptly left his wife and two daughters for.In ill health most of his life, by 1915, London was almost lame. His bowels gave him continual pain, and in order to reduce the pain, London began using opium and morphine, and it was not long before he became addicted to the drugs. As a consequence, his kidneys were also eventually wrecked by his misuse of all of the drugs, and London refused to even quit smoking, although he had cancer of the throat. By November 21,1916, London was in such poor health that he spent the entire day in bed. Then shortly before dawn the next day, he injected himself with what would prove to be an overdose of drugs. That evening, he died; he was forty years old. There is, naturally, some question as to whether his death was an intentional suicide.Jack London wrote lots of works in his whole life, one of the most popular is the Call of the Wild which was Published in 1903, and it is generally considered one of his best. Because the protagonist is a dog, it is sometimes classified as a juvenile novel, suitable for children, but it is dark in tone and contains numerous scenes of cruelty and violence.The plot concerns a previously domesticated and even somewhat pampered dog named Buck, whose primordial instincts return after a series of events finds him serving as a sled dog in the treacherous, frigid Yukon during the days of the 19th century Klondike Gold Rushes. Although the novel has long been considered a children’s book, many literary scholars have argued that the novel’s complexities warrant close analysis. Chief among the topics of interest to scholars is the novel's relationships to the philosophy of the “survival of the fittest” that was in vogue at the turn of the century.II. Survival for the FittestCharles Darwin, in The Origin of Species (1859), developed a theory that life on earth evolved through a process of natural selection. Those creatures that were strong and were able to adapt to their environment were the ones that survived. The process as seen by Darwin was ruthless and amoral; there was no beneficent God overseeing it and ensuring justice or tempering it with mercy. London appears to have had Darwin in mind when hewrote The Call of the Wild. (When London himself went to the Klondike in 1897, he took a copy of Darwin’s book with him.)A. Law of FangFrom the very beginning of this novelette, in Chapter one, as soon as Buck is ki dnapped from Judge Miller’s ranch, he learns that a new law applies to life, quite different from the “law of love and fellowship” he has known before. London calls this the “law of club and fang,” a succinct phrase that describes in a nutshell the survival of the fittest. The law of the club is that man, having access to greater force, is the master of the dogs. The stronger wins control, and the weaker must submit and serve the will of the conqueror, or be killed. In Chapter one, for example, Buck learns for the first time that there can be other relationships between man and dog than the one he has known. The man in the red sweater who clubs him into submission is his introduction to a ruthless world in which the strong rule—“law of fang,” and Buck makes his first adaptation to it. Adaptation is the key. He also adapts to the “law of fang,” which applies to the dog world. He first sees this at work when his friend Curly naively tries to make friendly advances to the other dogs. She is torn to pieces within minutes. The death of Curly shows him that just as he has learned a new relationship between man and dog, here in the north there is a new relationship between dog and dog. A dog must prevail through ferocity, strength and courage; to show weakness is to be killed. It is notable how quickly he adapts to all the challenges that face him. He has left the civilized world far behind. He is now prepared to steal food for his master, something that would not have occurred to him in his life with Judge Miller. Buck realizes, “So that was the way. No fair play. Once down, that was the end of you”. He resolves never to go down. This sets the pattern for the remainder of the novel. Buck proves himself to be the strongest, the most resourceful, and the most courageous. Since he is the fittest, he is the one who survives in the “ruthless struggle for existence”. Emphasizes the external dangers of the wild. Life within the world of gold rush towns and sled teams can be dangerous enough, as Curly’s death and Buck’s rivalr y with Spitz demonstrate. But worse threats lurk beyond the confines of camps and mail routes—wild dogs, for one thing, and madness, for another. Hunger also threatens a terrible enemy that has transformed the wild dogs into weird, skeletal, half-mad creatures. At this point, hunger is not a direct threat to Buck, since Francois and Perrault are responsible masters. But later in the novel, when Buck is in the care of less experienced humans, it rears its head again, and the image of the starving wild dogs f oreshadows Buck’s later experience with hunger.B. Change of BuckMeanwhile, the competition between Buck and Spitz, in which each strives to be “the dominant primordial beast,” builds to a climactic resolution. In the Buck-Spitz war, we see again the way that London's dogs resemblehumans: Buck’s revolt against Spitz is first of all a matter of strength versus strength, but it is also political. Buck does not merely attack Spitz head-on; instead, he slyly undercuts Spitz’s authority among the other dogs by siding with the weaker animals in disputes. Thus, he paves the way for his own leadership even before the final confrontation arrives.While Darwinism clearly influenced London’s writing, the Buck-Spitz conflict seems to be more suggestive of the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche—a German philosopher of the late nineteenth century. Nietzsche argued that all of society was divided up into those who were naturally masters and those who were naturally slaves. Nietzsche further argued that life was a constant struggle either to rule or be ruled; the “will to power,” as he termed it, replaced a conventional system of morality or ethics. He frequently resorted to animal metaphors, referring to the conquering rulersas “birds of prey” and“blonde beasts,” and to their victimsas “sheep” and“herd animals.” In The Call of the Wild, London transposes Nietzsche's arguments about human competition to dogs in the Klondike, casting Buck as the dominant beast whose “will to power” is unmatched. His language is almost self-consciously Nietzschean: he refers to Buck as a “masterful dog,” filled with“pride” and looking forward to a “clash for leadership” because such a desire is in his“nature.” This chapter leaves civilized morality (“slave morality,” as Nietzsche called it) far behind. Earlier, the killing of Curly horrifies Buck, whose life in California has left him unprepared to live by a new and different set of moral principles. The demands of the wild, however, force him to reconsider his scruples to the extent that he not only fights and kills Spitz but also rejoices in doing so. The story does not criticize the new, savage Buck; instead, it applauds his victory, his conquest of Spitz, and his assumption of his destiny to rule the pack alone and defeat anyone who opposes him.The primitive law of the survival of the fittest also applies to the human world. Perrault and Fran?ois, Buck’s first owners, are shrewd men who have adapted to the demands of their environment. They are a match for whatever challenges they encounter. In contrast, Charles, Hal and Mercedes, who have recently arrived in the north from the more civilized south, fail to adapt to its demands, and as a result, they perish.III. Desire for humanityBy comparing Buck’s attitudes and behavior towards its maste rs with the way the masters treat Buck, and analyzing Buck’s response to John Thornton’s death, the author expresses the desire for humanity in this novel.A. The Relationship between Buck and Judge MillerIn Judge Miller’s place Buck loves its masters and is loyal to them. He plays with Judge Miller’s sons and protects the Judge’s daughters, on the other hand, the Judge and his children also love Buck so that Buck has specialposition in the family and has advantages over other dogs. He feels “he was king, king over all creeping, crawling, flying things of Judge Miller’s place, human included.” He is arrogant and trusts in men he knows. Because of this reason he is betrayed by men and sent north as sled—dog. Buck’s first step to the north is at a dog—buster’s yard. For two days’ suffering on the train, Buck has to learned a lots. When Buck gets out of the crate, he is in a fierce state and throws himself on a man with a club, but he gets a fatal beaten from the man. Buck understands that “he stood no chance against a man with a club”,“a man with a club was a law giver, a master to be obeyed.” 1 Buck never forgets this rule in his later life and this in his introduction to the reign of primitive law.B. The Relationship among Buck, Perrault and FrancoisTo his new master, Perrault and Francois, Buck develops no affection for them, but he none the less grows honestly to respect them. He obeys orders and does what he should do, as the book says: “He was too wise to rebel.”2 He knows the result if he resists the orders. He learns quickly and easily to pull the sleds, and gradually gets the masters’ trust and care. Francois and Perrault buy Buck and his mates to convey the documents and letters of the government. They treat Buck fairly and harshly because “Francoi s was stern, demanding instant obedience, and by virtue of his whip receiving instant obedience.”3 They look after Buck but not always. When Buck’s feet limps in agony, Francois brings fish to Buck, and “the dog–driver rubbed Buck’s feet for half an hou r each night after supper, and sacrificed the tops of his own moccasins to make four moccasins for Buck.”4 However, the first night for Buck to live outside in snow - night is difficult because it is bitterly cold. When Buck sees the tent glowing warmly in the mist of the white plain, he enters it just as he walks into Judge Miller’s house to get warm by lying by the side of the fireplace, but he is driven out of the tent. “Both Perrault and Francois bombarded him with curses and cooking utensils, till he recovered from his consternation and fled ignominiously into the outer cold.”5 Buck and his mates pull the heavy sleds day after day, the trail is long and dangerous. They have to worry about whether the ice might be broken, and must defend the attacks of wolves and huskies. Curly’s death exists in Buck’s mind for a long time. It teaches Buck a lesson that one must not fall down or he will be killed. Buck remembers it well so that he wins when he fights with Spitez for the leadership of the team. During the journey, they have a few time to rest, their food “the pound and a half of sun- dried salmon, which was his ration for each day”6 is not enough. For Buck“he never had enough, and suffered from perpetual hunger pangs.”7 In order to survive in the environment which “was neither peace, nor rest, nor a moment’s safety. All was confusion and action, and every moment life and limb were in peril. ”8 Buck keeps on learning and he grows and grows, he has learned to dig hole in snow for sleeping and does well. He has learned to steal foodfrom others without being seen. He does it secretly and cunningly. He does it not because he likes to do but because he is hungry. The instinct of survival makes him do like this. “In short, the things he did were done because it was easier to do them than not to do them.” 9 His development proves that he can survive in the fierce condition. The instincts long dead become alive again. The domesticated generation fell from him. From time to time, he dreams of his ancestors, and when he hears the song of the huskies, he is deeply moved. All of those mean that he is gradually breaking away from the civilized world and begins to get used to the new environment. Buck and his mates performance well, but Francois and Perrault leave them.C. The Relationship among Buck, Hal and CharlsThe new master is a Scotch half - breed man. Buck doesn’t like him, but Buck works hard. They pull the sled to convey letters for the gold—seekers. Excessive working makes Buck and his mates exhausted, but they still stick to their post, however, when they become extremely weak and have no use, they would be abandoned or killed. The trail is the same and boring. When Buck stops to have a rest, the memory of sun—kissed land becomes vague and the picture of h is ancestor frequently appears in Buck’s mind. Along the trail, the dog—drivers take good care of the dog, when the team get to the destination, the dog can’t walk any more. New dog—team will replace the original one. Buck and his mates are sold again because they are useless and “the worthless ones were to be got ride of, and, since dogs count for little against dollars.” Charles and Hal buy Buck and his mates. Buck becomes impatient at the long trail. He pays no attention to work and has no confidence to his new masters. Hal and Charles know nothing about dog and the north. They treat the dog—team badly and are callous to the suffering of their animals. When they buy the dog—team, the dog has already had not any energy. The only thing they need is to have a good rest, but Hal and Charles don’t know it and don’t take advice from others. Both of them whip the dog to start out. Hal’s theory, which he practices on the others is that “One must get hardened.” He hammers it into the dogs with a club. With the approaching of spring, the ice on the river becomes thin. Buck feels the change, but the dog—drivers don’t, they still urge the dogs to go. At John Thornton’s camp, Buck falls down and doesn’t want to go ahead. This is the first time he doesn’t carry out the o rder because he is extremely feeble and he knows there is danger on the way the dog—team will step on. Hal is annoyed at Buck’s attitude so that he wants to punish Buck “He exchanged the whip for the customary club.”10 He beats Buck heavily, but Buck doesn’t attack back or run away, he doesn’t feel the pain, either. “He felt strangely numb.” 11D. The Relationship between Buck and John ThorntonJohn Thornton saves Buck when Hal beats Buck almost to death. Buck is left to stay with John Thornton. A few minutes later Hal, Charles and the other dogs fall into the river, they deserve it. John Thornton takes good careof Buck. Buck develops strong affection for John Thornton. “For a long time after his rescue, Buck did not like Thornton to get out of his sight. He was afraid that Thornton would pass out his life as Perrault and Francois and the Scotch half- breed had passed out.” 12 Buck is loyal to John Thornton and respects, protects him. John Thornton is the only man that Buck cares about, the rest of mankind is as nothing. John Thornton is kind and generous. He nurses Buck till he recovers completely. At John Thornton’s camp, Buck gets the true love. He feels “love, genuine passionate love, was his for the first time. This he had never experienced at Judge Mill er’s down in the sun—kissed Santa Clara Valley.” And John Thornton is the ideal master because “other men saw to the welfare of their dogs from a sense of duty and business expediency; he saw to the welfare of his as if they were his own children, because he could not help it.” John Thornton really cares about his dog. Buck is wounded when he saves John Thornton from the river, John Thornton and his companions stop going ahead till Buck recovers. When Buck wins a thousand dollars for John Thornton, someone wants to buy Buck. Facing the attractive price, John Thornton is proud of Buck and refuses, so there builds a strong love between John Thornton and Buck. Buck’s love to John Thornton exceeds that to the other masters. When they leave, Buck pays no attentions to them, but when John Thornton is killed by Indians, Buck is angry, sad and in a mad state.IV. Exclamation of the NatureAnother important feeling in Buck is his response to his nature—the call of the wild. The call sounds in the depths of the forest. “It fills him a great unrest and strong desires. It caused him to feel a vague, sweet gladness, and he was aware of wild yearning and stirrings for he knew not what”. Buck is eager to seek for the mysterious call that calls, wake or sleeping, at all times, for him to come. Actually the call of the wild stands for one’s nature—the human nature for simple, easygoing , independent and free life. Although the modern society is prosperous and people can savor material enjoyments, few people feel happy and content. Most people do the tedious work day by day. Uncreative, uninteresting as the work is, they have to continue doing so just in order to live on. A few better—off people are able to live an unworried life materially, but still seldom feel happy because they are caught by a sense of void and cannot find out the meaning of living. All the people are actually and spiritually lost. Human beings create a tremendous social machine in order to live comfortably and enjoyably , but only to find being controlled by it and once it starts , no way to escape. They are forced to keep pace with the social machine and those who cannot catch the tempo are destined to die. In such pressing circumstances, some people begin to meditate. They desire strongly the simple but free life that their nature roots in. If the society is the ideal one—full of love, running at order，with justice and fair play , it is still bearable to live in it though working under high pressure. Once suchideal plan is bankrupted, there is no reluctance to abandon it at the price of giving up luxurious material enjoyments and convenient modern facilities to live a simple, self—dependent, spiritually free life. Buck’s love for John Thornton can also be taken as the love for the ideal civilized society. That is why Buck hesitates to come to the forest in spite of his strong desire to do so. Once his hope for such a society is wrecked, there is no bound of his desire for freedom. He, therefore, returns to the forest and becomes a wolf after John Thornton’s death,“John Thornton was dead. The last tie was broken. Man and the claims of man no longer bound him”. In fact, Buck does not do this without regret. John Thornton’s death“left a great void in him, somewhat akin to hunger, but a void which ached and ached , and which food could not fill.” People resort to living in a natural life because they cannot find their way in building their ideal life.V. ConclusionAs it shown to us, Jack London is strongly influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution. The Call of the Wild is a typical kind of this novel. The determinism and“survival of the fittest” theory are clearly shown the characteristics of naturalism.On the one hand, Darwin’s theory can be clearly shown in the novel. The hero Buck’s changing from a gentle, moral, civilized family dog to a wild, cruel, uncivilized creature, the process is hard. It is a process of evolution, an evolution of certain group, that is, human beings or the wild nature. But in the essence, they are the same, and has the same laws both human society and wild nature. The law is to understand and abide by the rules which that world has set up, and it is forbidden to break the rules, otherwise, it would be true savagery and disrespect for life. Even though it has completely different laws in the civilized and the uncivilized worlds—in the wild, many conflicts are resolved by bloody fights rather than reasoned mediation. But in the essence, they are accordance with Darwin’s theory; the only difference is just their different field.On the other hand, forces of nature and environment as the affect in individual lives. For Buck, he returns to his wild and be a leader of a pack of wolves. This tremendous change is not just his success in the frozen North and adapt to the struggle environment, but also his recovery of his instincts and memories with John Thornton that he possessed. Here naturalism plays an important role in his changing, and also be an internal reason. It contributes Buck’s transformation. In short, The Call of the Wild demonstr ates Darwin’s theory which is the important features of naturalism. Furthermore, it gives us a new prospective to understand naturalism and it is why the novel causes such a great resonance.。