Synopsis

Jack London’s 1906 novel White Fang follows a half-wolf, half-dog born in the relentless cold of the Yukon territory in Canada. The story is organized by the different stages throughout his life, from birth and puppyhood to his domestication by Natives, and finally new beginnings in the California Gold Rush. White Fang’s character shifts throughout the book along with the changing seasons, landscapes and settings. His story is chalk-full of tender vignettes that emphasise the innocence and inveitable loss of innocence that occurs as a result of society's influences. White Fang is the overarching device for connecting these concepts to humans in the real world. London contrasts White Fang's naivety in early life, mainly his relationship with his mother the she-wolf to the aggression that he develops due to human interaction. In this tale of adventure and renewal, the line between human and beast is often obscured, illustrating just how similar humans are to other species. London's message is that we are all capable of love, intelligence and loyalty, but are also equally susceptible to anger, fear, and violence. These comparisons are essential to the narrative in the way they show how no animal is superior to another and that we are all connected by an interminable will to survive.

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Review

Plot-wise, this was very repetitive and slow to start. As we see White Fang grow older, though, and his introduction to humans, his character arc really starts to take shape. He goes from being vulnerable and inquisitive about the world to fiercely independent, despite the many odds stacked against him. Through famine, being coerced into dog-fighting, being separated from his protectors and many other obstacles, he manages to persist. This book is unique in that it completely revolves around the dog-wolf's perspective and not the human characters he meets along the way. It's inspirational and poses some interesting questions about nature versus nurture, whether or not animals are capable of love, and the morality of hurting others  to survive. I think the overall effect of this book would have been more streamlined had the author decided to pace it better in the beginning and remove some extraneous scenes.