The law of life by Jack London

Law of Life by Jack London

Jack London, born John Griffith in 1876 in San Francisco, was the illegitimate son of William Henry Chaney, an astrologer. His mother married John London soon after his birth. He grew up in Oakland and his schooling was intermittent and inconsistent with Jack spending much of his youth involved in illegal dealings even spending one month in prison. According to his autobiographical novel, Martin Eden, during his youth he became an avid reader, especially of fiction. A very prolific writer, London wrote more than fifty books between 1900 and 1916 earning over a million dollars which he spent quickly trying to find the gratification he lacked in his personal life where he was struggling with alcoholism and mental illness.

First published in 1901 in McClure's Magazine, London's story "The Law of Life" tackles the issue of mortality by dealing with the approach of death to Old Koskoosh, an Indian who was once an able warrior, and who is now abandoned in the snow by his tribe to meet his final fate. While lying in the snow near the fire left burning by his relatives, he has vivid recollections of his past. In his final moments, he remembers seeing a grand old moose struggling with wolves until it finally died. Here, through foreshadowing, London depicts the old Indian being surrounded by wolves himself, to which he has to surrender in the end, in order to obey the law of life.

This story accurately reflects Jack London's view of life as a phenomenon which is experienced by every being in this world in a similar manner. London is a naturalistic writer who refers to "the law of life" as the process of aging and death, more precisely the circle of life. While waiting for his death, Kosboosh thinks of leaves turning brown in autumn, and of young girls who are beautiful and young at the time of their marriage, and who grow old and unattractive. What is striking about London's attitude towards life as expressed by his main character is the fact that although "lame and almost blind," Kosboosh is fully aware of his imminent end, and calmly accepts the fact that all men must die.

Foot, Michael. "Jack London: A Life." New Statesman 126.4344 (July 25, 1997): p45.

Michael Foot deals with Jack London's influences and writing style explaining that in order to understand London's writings, one must turn to the incredible story of the author's life.

"His real life of adventure and his literary life were mingled to make a single, rare, intoxicating potion. He did some terrible things and wrote some terrible things, but he could turn to face new trials with new courage." He also discusses London's relationship to class and statesmen during his time, such as Benjamin Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt.

Labor, Earle. "Chapter 3: Success." Jack London. Earle Labor. Twayne's United States Authors Series 230. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1974.

Earle Labor (born 1928) is the official biographer of novelist Jack London and curator of the Jack London Museum in Shreveport. In Chapter 3 of his 1974 biography entitled "Jack London" (and republished in 1994), Labor tackles the issue of London's success as a writer. Labor tries to investigate into the reasons which have determined critics to consign both "London and his work to the dustbin." Labor argues that London's appeal with the lower classes, along with the fact that "he wrote for cash" are two of the most important causes behind his lack of critical recognition. He also provides very interesting passages from London on his own work and the ideological inoculations which have also undermined the value of London's writings.

Ludington, Townsend. "Jack London: Overview." Reference Guide to American Literature. Ed. Jim Kamp. 3rd ed. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994.

Townsend talks about London's background and childhood, as well as his Socialist views, and their influence on his adult life and writings: "London saw himself as an exemplar of the rags-to-riches story, an Anglo-Saxon superman who succeeded because of his superior intelligence and physical prowess, who took pride in his individualism, yet […] he believed that some form of socialism was the cure for the inequities of capitalist society." It is interesting to note here that Townsend argues that London's heroes are "individualists who survive the challenges of nature and society if they are strong enough, or are defeated if they are not," a personal credo which might have developed as a result of personal struggle.

Reesman, Jeanne Campbell. "Never Travel Alone': Naturalism, Jack London, and the White Silence." American Literary Realism 1870-1910. 29.2 (Winter 1997): 33-49

In her 1997 essay, Jack London scholar and professor Reesman explores the naturalistic nature of London's writings in "The White Silence," "The Sea-Wolf," and "The Water Baby." She provides interesting insight into several motifs that are recurrent in London's work.

Johnson, Claudia Durst. Understanding the Call of the Wild: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Greenwood Press, 2000

Professor Emeritus at the University of Alabama, Johnson explores the complex relationships between man and nature, and animals' struggle with their own nature in man's world. In her interdisciplinary study, a rich collection of primary documents point out the many issues that make London's stories as poignant and pertinent today as when they were written nearly a century ago.