White Fang by Jack London - Admission/Application Essay Example

Published in 1906, the novel White Fang by American writer Jack London offers a candid and comprehensive elucidation of animals’ perception of the world and how they perceive human beings in their daily interactions. My choice of the novel was motivated by the sheer fact that it reconnoiters the vehement world of humans and violent world of animals, hence its analysis would bolster the understanding of the multifaceted animal-human relationships. In chapter 1, a desolated, lifeless, land without movement is depicted. A she-wolf and her mate are striving to find food for their cubs, which had for long been growling and fighting over milk from their parched mother. Unfortunately, all cubs, except the grey cub, die of hunger and their father is killed by a lynx when striving to obtain some food from the lynx’s den. The negative human-animal relationship is apparent in the chapter as Bill and Henry fail to give any food to the animals leading to the death of the cubs. They perceived the animals as angry creatures that are just after them. Moreover, human-animal and animal-animal acrimony is evident and sets a clear ground for plot development. Chapter 2 connotes how the young grey cub is keen to explore the world amidst fear of the unknown. When left by his mother, he goes out of the cave in pursuit of food and luckily finds baby ptarmigans which he decides to convert into a meal before their mother finally arrives and hurts him. The fight between the cub and ptarmigan leaves the cub exhausted and bruised. Bill and Henry show concern over the continual missing of their dogs which did not only provide company but also provided security to them. They swear to kill the she-wolf that was causing annihilation of their dog team; this would ensure that their dogs live on. Chapter 3 depicts the reunion between Grey Beaver and Kiche, the she-wolf. Grey Beaver captures Kiche and the grey cub whom he names White Fang. Evidently, Kiche had gone missing a year ago due to famine. However, the adventuresome cub had already learnt that, it had to kill or be killed and that was the way the world operated. Grey Beaver’s act of tying Kiche to a tree indicates that he is harsh and does not show affection towards Kiche and White Fang. However, White Fang respects him as he discovered that he was might. Axiomatically, animals feel incapable and without freedom when under the care of human beings. They abhor the companion with human beings, but lack any other way of deliberating themselves. In chapter 4, Kiche and White Fang are forced to follow the men into their camp; a camp ordinarily supervised by Grey Beaver, a ferocious man. Kiche is kept tied in the camp and White Fang is forced to endure the acrimonious experiences alone. He regularly fights with a ferocious dog, Lip-lip, but things become worse when Grey Beaver sold Kiche to another man. The tainted relationship between Grey Beaver and his animals is patent. He mercilessly beats the animals and laughs when the animals are crying in agony. Animals learn that human beings are merciless and should always follow their commands lest they risk being alive. The devastating vulgarity that human beings exhibit when handling animals is portrayed through Grey Beaver. In chapter 5, the challenges in the camp makes White Fang grow sterner and stronger. He learn new strategies of fighting other dogs and guarantee himself a win, in a highly troublesome camp where Grey Beaver shows diminutive concern. Grey Beaver makes several long travels up Mackenzie river and uses unfed puppies to help him pull a sled. The puppies learn that the agreement between them and man was that they should serve human beings while human beings provide sustenance. Human-animal relationships are apparently meant to benefit humans while the animals silently suffer. Man fails to feed the animals and some perceived it as an opportunity to varnish into the mysterious land and fend for themselves rather than writhe under human beings. However, White Fang ultimately discovers that at times human beings, particularly women, can be friendly. In chapter 6, Jack describe the journey of White Fang and his master Gray who had decided to travel to Fort Yukon for business of selling gloves, furs, animal coats and shoes. Gray’s business flourish at Fort Yukon for he got many clients who came as gold-hunters. White Fang was exposed to an area where he meets white people’s dogs and because he was a fierce dog he fought the other dogs. The fierceness of White Fang made Smith admire the dog and finally buys it from Gray using fraudulence and alcohol. The author used Gray and smith to describe the existed relationship between animals and human beings. White Fang was born wild; that made him grow up ferocious and unloving, hence the dog was unfriendly to other dogs. Gray got a lot of money from his business that he used in drinking whisky that turned him into a fanatic and when he had spent all his cash, and had no alternative, he was forced to sell his dog. Beauty Smith bought the dog and he mistreated the dog through turning it into an object that he can vent his own hatred. In chapter 7, the author is pinpointing how smith mistreated White Fang by continually enjoying making the dog hungry and forcing the dog into blood-spattered fights with other people’s dogs. It also explains how Weedon Scott became the third master of White Fang after saving the dog from the bulldog and forcefully buys the dog from Smith. The author, in this chapter, has elucidated the human-animal relationship where smith was mistreating the dog that led to White Fang becoming fiercer and inauspicious. Scott finally, rescued the dog and threats Smiths to have him jailed if he rejected him to take the dog. In chapter 8, the author describe how Scott took White Fang and protected the dog with persistence and compassion that made the dog to learn and appreciate human beings as he ultimately develops love and affection towards Scott. When Scott was leaving to California he had to take White Fang, as the dog refused to stay with Matt. The author has successfully explored the unique and special relationship that can exist between human beings and animals. White Fang had finally learned to develop love and affection toward human being after Scott endeavors to win the conviction of the dog which he finally gained. In chapter 9, White Fang, under his new master Weedon Scott, finally comes to Santa Clara Valley where he starts learning to live with people. Scott gently instructs the adventurous and justly fierce White Fang who growls and becomes worried any time people come to his caring master. Life in the valley is bearable and White Fang enjoys every experience. The good human-animal relationship depicted in the chapter indicates the start of animal domestication where animals start living with human beings. Animals realize that human beings are not harmful; they are a source of security to them and the animals feel indebted to reciprocate the benevolence of human beings. Through classical conditioning, animals learn the beauty of living with and/or among human beings. In chapter 10, White Fang continues enjoying life in Santa Clara. However, a sheep-dog, Collie, at first behaves eccentrically towards White Fang, but later learnt that White Fang was harmless and indeed a companion. White Fang saves Weedon Scott from death, first when the master’s cart tipped and secondly when Jim Hall, a freed prisoner, wanted to kill Judge Scott and his entire family. Jim Hall shoots White Fang severally, but White Fang does not succumb to the injuries. The family celebrates at White Fang’s new awakening. The story culminates by portraying the good relationship that has developed between human beings and animals. Treating animals well makes them happy and in turn serve humanity. The usefulness of animals is indispensable in the contemporary deceptive and perilous world. As elucidated above, the association between humans and animals has been fairly complicated. Animals faced the wrath of human beings before finally being accepted as important in the existence of human beings. Humans strive to save wild animals from the perversity of the wilderness and started domesticating them. However, humans use the animals’ patience and compassion for their benefit while the animals seldom benefit from the relationship. Works Cited London, J. White Fang. Champaign, IL: Project Gutenberg, 1906. Print. Retrieved from http://zssmsbanka.edupage.sk/files/White_Fang_by_Jack_London.pdf Read More