London’s ChildhoodLondon’s Childhood

London at age 8 London at age 8 with dog Rollowith dog Rollo

ChildhoodReference ChildhoodReference sites:sites:

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/jack.html

http://www.jacklondon.com/

London as a school boy

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/

• Became an avid reader at age Became an avid reader at age 10 when an Oakland librarian 10 when an Oakland librarian encouraged him to escape his encouraged him to escape his life of poverty through life of poverty through reading.reading.

• Bought his first sailboat at Bought his first sailboat at age 12—loved to sailage 12—loved to sail

Youth—Adventure/ResponsibilityYouth—Adventure/Responsibility

•Dropped out of school at age 14 & had Dropped out of school at age 14 & had series of low-paying jobs:series of low-paying jobs:

SeamanSeaman delivered papers delivered paperssweatshopsweatshop worked in cannery worked in canneryfreight train hobofreight train hobo cleaned local saloon cleaned local saloon

•Loved to listen to stories about the Loved to listen to stories about the California Gold Rush of 1849California Gold Rush of 1849

Forming Ideas/AttitudesForming Ideas/Attitudes

•Experiences that shaped London’s life and attitudes:Experiences that shaped London’s life and attitudes:

-oyster pirate -seal hunter in the North Pacific -1894—arrested & jailed in Niagara Falls for vagrancy -adopted socialistic views

•Educated self by reading in public libraryEducated self by reading in public library

•Attended Attended University of California at BerkeleyUniversity of California at Berkeley

•Left school after 1 year to seek his fortune in gold Left school after 1 year to seek his fortune in gold fieldsfields

AdventureAdventure• Traveled to Traveled to Klondike Gold RushKlondike Gold Rush in in

18971897• Spent one winter at Spent one winter at Split-Up IslandSplit-Up Island, ,

near the Stewart Rivernear the Stewart River• Did not find gold; had a wealth of Did not find gold; had a wealth of

experiencesexperiences he would later use to he would later use to write stories and bookswrite stories and books

• Returned home to support himself Returned home to support himself and his family by publishing his and his family by publishing his writingwriting

Gold Gold DISCOVERED DISCOVERED

in the in the YukonYukon

Jack London outfitted Jack London outfitted to travel to the gold to travel to the gold fields of the Klondike fields of the Klondike Gold RushGold Rush

Photo actually taken in at Photo actually taken in at Truckee, CA.Truckee, CA.

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London

Adult LifeAdult Life

• An avid An avid sailor—sailor—loved his loved his boat, the boat, the SnarkSnark

http://www.parks.sonoma.net/JLStory.html

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/jack.html

Aboard the Snark with friendsAboard the Snark with friends

Married twice—two daughtersMarried twice—two daughters

•Bess Maddern—London’s first Bess Maddern—London’s first wifewife

•Becky and Joan London—Becky and Joan London—London’s daughtersLondon’s daughters http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/

London/Images/

Charmian LondonCharmian London Jack London’s second wife Jack London’s second wife

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/Imageshttp://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/Images

London owned and loved a ranch in London owned and loved a ranch in SonomaSonoma Valley Valley

London’s Directions to his London’s Directions to his ranch at Glen Ellenranch at Glen Ellen

““Next to my wife, Next to my wife, the ranch is the ranch is

the dearest thing the dearest thing in the world in the world

to me.”to me.”Jack London

The Londons at homeThe Londons at home

““I believe the soil is I believe the soil is our greatest asset.”our greatest asset.”

Jack London

http://www.geocities.com?NapaValley/7996/

““I hope to do two things with I hope to do two things with the ranch:the ranch:

To leave the land better for my To leave the land better for my having beenhaving been;;

To enable 30 or 40 families to To enable 30 or 40 families to live happily on the ground that live happily on the ground that

was so impoverished when I was so impoverished when I bought it.”bought it.”

““..he was mighty good to us, ..he was mighty good to us, and there never was a man and there never was a man who came here who went who came here who went away hungry.”away hungry.”

Ranch workmanRanch workman

http://www.parks.sonoma.net/JLStory.html

London—the AuthorLondon—the Author• Began avidly writing in 1897Began avidly writing in 1897• He commonly spent 15 hours He commonly spent 15 hours

a day writinga day writing• Daily quota of 1000 written Daily quota of 1000 written

words a day words a day • Became Became recognizedrecognized as a as a

talented & successful writertalented & successful writer

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/Imageshttp://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/Images

Jack London wrote 50 books and Jack London wrote 50 books and 1,000 articles between 1899 and 1,000 articles between 1899 and 1916.1916.

““The greatest story The greatest story London ever told was London ever told was

the story he lived.”the story he lived.”

Alfred KazinAlfred Kazin Literary critic Literary critic

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/Imageshttp://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/Images

““By 1916, London was the By 1916, London was the highest-paid writer in the highest-paid writer in the

country and the most widely country and the most widely read American author in the read American author in the

world.”world.”http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London

““His literary works like His literary works like TheThe RoadRoad,, written written in 1907, in 1907,

inspired later writers like inspired later writers like JohnJohn SteinbeckSteinbeck and and JackJack

KerouacKerouac.”.”

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London

Life Then and NowLife Then and Now• Then…1900Then…1900

– 1 in 7 homes had a 1 in 7 homes had a bathtubbathtub

– 1 in 13 homes had a 1 in 13 homes had a telephonetelephone

– Camera cost $1.00Camera cost $1.00– 1 lb sugar--4 cents1 lb sugar--4 cents– Dozen eggs--14 centsDozen eggs--14 cents– 1 lb. Butter—24 1 lb. Butter—24

centscents

• Now…2000Now…2000– 2.3 tv’s per 2.3 tv’s per

householdhousehold– 20% of U.S. 20% of U.S.

connected to the connected to the InternetInternet

– 1 lb sugar—43 cents1 lb sugar—43 cents– Dozen eggs--$1.12Dozen eggs--$1.12– 1 lb. Butter--$2.351 lb. Butter--$2.35– Camera—too many Camera—too many

to listto listSee bibliography slide

The Londons several weeks prior to his The Londons several weeks prior to his

deathdeath

•Jack London died on November Jack London died on November 22, 1916.22, 1916.

•A memorial for he and his A memorial for he and his second wife, Charmian second wife, Charmian Kittredge, is located at Glen Kittredge, is located at Glen Ellen.Ellen.

““One of the reasons One of the reasons Jack London’s popularity as an Jack London’s popularity as an

author remainsauthor remainsso high in the world today so high in the world today is because his life was as is because his life was as interesting as his works.” interesting as his works.”

http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/7996/http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/7996/

from from Jack London Jack London

journals…journals…

Thoughts about life..Thoughts about life..

http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/7996http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/7996

http://www.parks.sonoma.net/JLStory.html

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/

““It is so simple a It is so simple a remedy, remedy,

merely service.”merely service.”Jack London

““Not one ignoble Not one ignoble thought or actthought or act is demanded is demanded of any or all of any or all

men and women men and women than to make fair than to make fair

the world.”the world.”

The call is for service, The call is for service,

and such is the and such is the wholesomeness of it.wholesomeness of it.

He who serves allHe who serves all best serves himself.” best serves himself.”

Jack LondonJack London

London’s CreedoLondon’s Creedo

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/

Jack London's "Credo"Jack London's "Credo"I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather be ashes than dust!

I would rather that my spark should I would rather that my spark should burn out burn out

    in a brilliant blaze than it should be     in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.…stifled by dry-rot.…

The function of man is to live, not to The function of man is to live, not to exist. exist.

I shall not waste my days trying to I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. prolong them.

I shall use my time. I shall use my time.

What others thought of What others thought of Jack LondonJack London

See bibliography slide

““No writer, unless it were No writer, unless it were Mark Twain, ever had a Mark Twain, ever had a

more romantic life than Jack more romantic life than Jack London.”London.”

Ernest J. HopkinsErnest J. Hopkins

http://www.parks.sonoma,net/JLStory.htmlhttp://www.parks.sonoma,net/JLStory.html

The story of his The story of his adventure-filled life adventure-filled life

still intrigues readersstill intrigues readers of all ages and from all of all ages and from all

walks of life. walks of life. Russ KingmanRuss Kingman

London was described “as a London was described “as a “born teller of tales who wrote “born teller of tales who wrote

as he lived—in a hurry.” as he lived—in a hurry.” Howard LachtmanHoward Lachtman

““The fact that his gift for The fact that his gift for writing was ever realized came writing was ever realized came

to be used as an example of to be used as an example of someone achieving “someone achieving “The The

American Dream.”American Dream.”

http://www.homestead.com/wolf29/wolves.html

TitleTitle: The Call of the WildGenreGenre: Realistic FictionSettingSetting: Late 1800’s,

Klondike gold rush

Call of the Wild--Comments

““In his story the Klondike In his story the Klondike became ‘not only a real country, became ‘not only a real country,

but a territory of the mind’ but a territory of the mind’ where his characters lived or where his characters lived or

died because of what they had in died because of what they had in them.them.

(Lachtman, 1984)

He was paid three cents He was paid three cents per word for the story, per word for the story, which he had shortened which he had shortened

by 5,000 words.by 5,000 words.

London received London received a total of a total of $2,750.00 $2,750.00

for his work.for his work.

The book has never been out The book has never been out of print during the last of print during the last

seventy-five yearsseventy-five years

http://www.parks.sonoma.net/JLPark.html

““The Call of the WildThe Call of the Wild is the is the greatest dog story ever written greatest dog story ever written and is at the same time a study and is at the same time a study of one of the most curious and of one of the most curious and

profound motives that play profound motives that play hide-and-seek in the human hide-and-seek in the human

soul.”soul.” Carl SandburgCarl Sandburg

From the time From the time The Call of the The Call of the WildWild caught the imagination of caught the imagination of

the world in 1903, until his the world in 1903, until his death by a stroke and heart death by a stroke and heart

attack in 1916,attack in 1916,

his 51 books, hundreds of short his 51 books, hundreds of short stories, essays and other stories, essays and other

writings had more newspaper writings had more newspaper coverage than any other writer.coverage than any other writer.

http://www.parks.sonoma.net/JLPark.html

““I have everything to I have everything to make me glad I am alive. make me glad I am alive. I am filled with dreams I am filled with dreams

and mysteries.”and mysteries.” Jack London

http://www.parks.sonoma.net/JLPark.html

Jack London sites:

http://www.geocities.com/~jacklondons/index.html

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian/issuesall/issues98/feb98/jack.html

http://dcps.dade.k12.fl.us/technology/reading/wild/COW/worksheet.htm

http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/resource/bookshelf/callw10/

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/Organizations/jl_society.html

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/London/