White Fang

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1906

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Themes

The Brutal Power of the Wild

In White Fang, London reveals the brutal power of the wild. The difficulty of life in the wild informs the novel’s conflicts. The Yukon is a setting characterized by brutal cold, unforgiving storms, and a lack of food. Humans and animals who live in the wild are subject to many elements beyond their control. No matter how good a hunter a wolf or a human may be, if there’s nothing to hunt, then they will go hungry. Animals and humans compete over resources in the wild, fighting to the death for the opportunity to survive.

London introduces this theme in Part 1. The primary conflict for Henry is his fight to survive against the merciless wild. Though Henry is strong and pragmatic, his human body is no match for the cold, the lack of resources, and the constant threat of the wolf pack. He experiences distinct moments of crisis, in which he imagines his body succumbing to the cold or being attacked by the wolves. Part 1 emphasizes human beings’ weakness in the grand scheme of the natural order, which is a direct challenge to humanity’s belief that it is a superior species. Because humans have learned how to live in different settings, time periods, and challenging situations, humans have proven themselves to be adaptable. But one human cannot survive on their own. Like wolves, humans survive best in communities. When Henry is left on his own in the wild, only other humans can save him.

In White Fang, London utilizes the sublime to highlight the awe that the wild inspires in mankind. In facing the brutality of the wild, men like Henry and Grey Beaver are forced to come to terms with their human weaknesses, respect the supremacy of the wild, and acknowledge their smallness. This is also true of White Fang, who is constantly at the mercy of the wild. Though he has the instincts to survive, the wrong fight with a superior animal or a bad snowstorm could end his life. Nature constantly finds a way to exult over smaller living beings.

Survival of the Fittest

White Fang is led by his instincts. London celebrates the depths of these instincts by highlighting how White Fang is a survivor because his animalistic nature is in tune with his instincts in ways humans cannot be.

In Parts 1 and 2, London draws this distinction between humans and animals. Henry is acutely aware of his mortality, which makes him suffer both physically and psychologically. Henry cannot rely on his survivor’s instincts because the human mind is able to control and override those instincts. In a stark contrast, the she-wolf is characterized by her total commitment to her instincts.

While Part 1 traces Henry’s victimization at the hands of nature, Part 2 portrays the she-wolf’s resiliency against nature. The she-wolf survives better than Henry because she doesn’t have the consciousness of thought. She doesn’t philosophize about her mortality, nor does she reflect on how life has been unfair or unkind to her. Instead, her survival instincts inform all of her decisions. An excellent example of this is when she becomes vigilant around One Eye because of her cubs. Though she doesn’t know or care why, she senses that One Eye could kill the cubs if he doesn’t believe them to be his. It is precisely this not knowing or caring that allows the she-wolf to survive while humans overanalyze.

White Fang is also an example of survival of the fittest. He is the only cub in his litter to survive past infancy. London doesn’t provide a reason for the death of the other cubs because, ultimately, it doesn’t matter. The harsh reality of the survival of the fittest includes a lack of explanation because part of surviving means moving beyond losses. This is also evident when White Fang, as an adult, sees his mother in the wild. He recognizes her, but she doesn’t recognize him. Kiche’s instincts teach her to forget about her past cubs so she can focus on the survival of her new litter. From a human point of view, this seems cold and uncaring. However, it is not presented as sad that Kiche and White Fang don’t have a happy reunion; it’s simply part of their instincts and necessary for their survival. White Fang doesn’t mourn his lost relationship with his mother. Not fretting over their parent-child relationship enables both Kiche and White Fang to survive while humans in a similar situation might succumb to sorrow and loss.

White Fang is an exemplary survivor. The dog fights Beauty forces him into highlight White Fang’s strength and will to survive. He wins all but one of his fights because of his long experience of putting himself first. White Fang understands that surviving means destroying other dogs, and it’s an agreement he came to terms with as a cub. White Fang’s experience with other dogs and wolves has always been based on survival of the fittest. In Grey Beaver’s camp, survival is about achieving domination within the dog hierarchy. Such a dynamic teaches White Fang that he can’t make alliances with other dogs and must live for himself. While wolves are naturally inclined to live in packs, White Fang lives independently, securing a certain measure of control over his survival. Lip-lip had been the pack leader, but when the camp disintegrates due to famine, the dogs are separated and left to fend for themselves. Lip-lip has long relied on the pack mentality to keep him alive, so he is weaker than White Fang, who knows how to survive on his own.

In the last part of the novel, White Fang demonstrates survival of the fittest when he overtakes Jim Hall. Though the fight takes out an enormous toll on White Fang, he ultimately survives. The fight also demonstrates that in a battle for survival, humans are outmatched by wolves, who attack with the ferocity of their instincts and without a conscious thought for their own mortality.

The Possibility of Redemption

White Fang is a novel about redemption. The plot arc of the narrative presents a myriad of challenges to White Fang’s character development. White Fang’s life is characterized by constant conflict. In such an environment, White Fang necessarily becomes hardened and solitary. A life full of hardness and independence can have a negative outcome, such as White Fang’s capacity for violence. White Fang goes after dogs in the camp simply to prove his prowess, but his level of violence is not always necessary for the given situation. In destroying and scaring the dogs, White Fang ensures that no one will try to attack him first. However, this dynamic alienates him from the others. White Fang never enjoys the benefits of living in a pack like his mother did. Without a pack, White Fang is lonely. He is so hardened by the brutal realities of his life, by the competition between dogs for human approval, and by his own survival instincts, that he loses any sense in seeing the value of community.

White Fang develops a reputation in Grey Beaver’s camp, then later among the white dog fighters, of being ferocious. While this keeps him alive, it also keeps him lonely.

White Fang is redeemed through love. Though his wolfdog nature does not allow him to forget his wild instincts, he is also able to adapt to peace and activate his capacity for love, a capacity he did not previously know he had. By giving White Fang love and being patient with White Fang’s process, Scott helps White Fang recontextualize his life among humans as one of cooperation, rather than competition. The love of Scott and Scott’s family teaches White Fang that he can also get along with other dogs without vying for power. White Fang only uses violence in Part 5 to defend Scott’s life, proving that he is in control of his wild ways and will only tap into those instincts to save the lives of the people he loves.

Human beings are also redeemed in this novel. Grey Beaver is not the worst human to his dogs, but he also maintains his power using fear. Beauty epitomizes moral corruption. He has no love for animals and abuses them for his own gain. In the end, Beauty loses White Fang and is denied a chance for redemption. London introduces Scott in the last chapters to demonstrate that while humans can be bad, they can also be good. London redeems the human race through Scott’s patience, empathy, and genuine love for all living beings. The novel thus becomes a teaching tool to help readers to consider the ways they can be kinder to animals, develop respect for nature, and hold each other to higher moral standards.