Jack London Quotes

Jack London once said, “The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” This quote is a good representation of who Jack London was as a writer and a person. He worked hard at what he believed in, never backing down from challenges or new adventures, so he could potentially spark his imagination with new ideas to write about. Unlike most people, Jack knew at a young age that he wanted to write, though his writing initiated controversy, he kept with it and eventually became one of America’s most famous writers. He is well known for his socialist viewpoint that came from his life experiences. The novel Sea Wolf is based off of a life experience that Jack had
Most people have experienced meeting a person that has irritating qualities at first but over time their perception changes about that person. In The Sea Wolf, the privileged intellectual, Humphrey (Hump) van Weyden meets the rugged Wolf Larsen, the captain of a seal-hunting schooner, in an unusual and undesirable way. After Hump’s ferry was hit by another boat and sank in the San Francisco Bay, he was rescued by Wolf. Wolf’s ship is on its way to Japan to find seals to hunt and even though Hump expects Wolf to return him to the shore, Wolf decides Hump needs to become a man and promptly makes Hump his cabin boy. Wolf is known for getting his way and because of his strong will and physical strength, he typically gets what he wants. On their way to Japan, the crew tries to commit mutiny but Wolf shows his true power by physically beating the men. Once things on the ship settle down again Maud Brewster comes aboard, after being rescued in a similar way Hump was rescued. Maud instantly got the attention of both Hump and Wolf because of her intellect. Wolf tries to focus on his ship, while Hump thinks he’s fallen in love. Wolf’s interest in Maud is revealed when Hum catches Wolf holding Maud against her will, causing Hump to depart from his intellectual ways and physically tries to kill Wolf. While Hump did not succeed in murdering Wolf, Wolf was
Knowing what this author typically writes about and how he writes helps to interpret his pieces better and get the full value out of his writings. The book The Sea Wolf also provides good insight on Jack London’s perception of society and how it needs to change, a topic which was as relevant 100 years ago as it is today. Most people don’t think about these topics until they are brought to their attention and Jack London does a good job of giving people different things to think about in an entertaining and interesting way. He has given the world some of its most popular pieces of literature and his legacy will continue live on for many more years, providing people with enjoyment and insight on new ideas and situations. No matter what, life keeps moving and Jack has made an impression on the wheel of life that never stops. Jack London even said, “Darn the wheel of the world! Why must it continually turn over? Where is the reverse