Journal of Jack London's Writing

The writings of Jack London parallels the writings of the other Romantic writers when it comes to nature. The earlier romantic writers described and wrote about nature's beauty and her magnificence... They constantly personified the unique traits of nature and boasted of her strength and wonder. Similarly, Jack London paralleled the Romantic writers when he described the vast desolation of the unforgiving wintry land, and the affect it has on those who dare to enter into her territory. Yet, in contrast Jack London interspersed ideas of personal thought and one of self reliance in his writings. In his piece "To Build a Fire" the man was the main character and he didn't have a connection with nature, instead he took things as they were. Also, when the man was about to die he didn't think about how nature would encompass him, or the afterlife, rather he imagined how is group would find him, which notifies the reader that there definitely is a transition from romanticism to realism. Additionally, The man coped with the wintry tundra by thinking logically and methodically. The fact that the character didn't view nature on a spiritual level helps the reader understand the transition from spirituality to self-reliance and logic.

Self-sufficiency, Independence and activism were the new main ideas for Jack London's writing. Through the writings and the messages conveyed by the author we can infer about what some of his deals and morals were. For example, in his writing "the Mexican" the protagonist is an 18-year old Mexican boy. Everyone who is in contact with him could attest to the fact that this young boy has definitely experienced some tragedy to make him so cold...the boy was stoic and rarely spoke, but they could always see an intense passion and hate in his 'black eyes'. This young boy's only goal was to do whatever he could to help the Mexican revolution. This boy's hatred and his loss of love, can show that the author believes that this could happen to anyone; the boy's only source of love, his parents, was brutally murdered and he saw them taste their deaths...from them on, his entire personality was changed from love to bitterness.

Jack London's audience is anyone who openly questions the strength of human will in the face of injustice and impossibility, and who favors the human logic over feeling. I believe Jack London's stories were not just light-reading, he had a very significant message and he was speaking for a specific audience. The writer writes for those who recognize the possibility of human power, intelligence and daring to find one's own way rather than accepting the status quot. When Jack London takes the reader trough the series of adventures and conflicts that arise in the lives of his characters, London helps the reader indulge in those sentiments and ponder about those ideas.

In the piece "How to build a fire" it demonstrated that as humans we have an instinct to want to discover and try new things, even if the cost is dear. The man in "How to build a Fire" was given the general information and important advice, by a Wise old man, on how to live and survive in the cold environment to where he was adventuring. The man's disregard to the most important advice the Old man gave, clearly reflects the way that as humans we try to do things our way and sometimes it may not work out so well. That idea transcends the story and goes into real life for me, as a christian the bible gives me 'advice' and 'general information' so that I can live a good life, but as a human I try to do things my own way, thinking that I can handle the situations...and just like that man, negative conflicts always result, but in the case of the man, his disregard for essential advice cost him his life.

"...The Mexican boy sat down in his corner and waited. the slow minutes lagged by. Danny was making him wait. It was an old trick, but it never worked on the young new fighters. They grew frightened. sitting thus and facing heir own apprehensions and a callous, tobacco-smoking audience. But for once the trick failed. Roberts was right. Rivera had no goat. He, who was more delicately coordinated, more finely nerved and strung than any of them had no nerves of the sort. The atmosphere of foredoomed defeat in his drift age of the fight game, without honor, without honor, without efficiency. And they were chilled, as well, with certitude that theirs was the losing corner..."
The young Mexican boy is waiting to face his opponent and he isn't faltered by the tricks of his enemies, he is strong and determined because he so much to fight for. While Reading this expert I feel pity for the young boy who always had to fight and the only people he was able to loved (and that truly loved him back) were his parents and they were brutally murdered and the young boy was a witness to that. London is able to evoke emotion without being too deep his words and phrases are so well chosen that the reader can take what they can from the text. Jack London has a keen ability to say a lot without saying too much. When it comes to giving the description of the settings in his work he gives an almost poetic illustration, and sometimes he makes the description raw and able to be understood and felt by the reader.

Don't Wait for the Movie

'I liked the movie but the book was so much better,' if you ever wondered why time and time again your expectations were not satisfied by an other's reproduction, it's because as human beings we are blessed with the ability to be imaginative. Especially when we read written works we can take certain aspects out of those pieces that another person couldn't have. Consequently, if we question the power of words and the resulting change that can occur, the only sensible answer there is, is that words do have the power to change. Writing has such an unique appeal to people, that it captivates the attention of its readers in ways that can change the world.

Writing can change the hearts and minds of people in ways unimaginable. For instance, during the conflicts between the North and South on the issue of slavery, writing was a key to strengthening the people's perceptions and passions about the issue. The novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' by Harriet Beecher Stowe riled up the moral convictions of both the North and the South citizens. Furthermore, people in the North were further convinced of the cruelty of slavery and many Northerners also felt compelled to disobey the fugitive slave act; they were influenced by words of Thoreau on his topic called 'civil disobedience'. In that piece Thoreau wrote about people having a right to disobey laws that they truly feel are injust- he described that as practicing 'civil disobedience'. The words of those two people can be contributed to igniting the feelings of both sides of the nation eventually causing the Civil War...words can definitely cause changes.



Imagine having to do an impromptu speech on an important issue...for most people it would be very hard and the true essence and message of what you're trying to convey probably wouldn't be expressed to you're fullest ability. When time is given to write your message you can think through your thoughts, and certain phrases that are important to the success of the speech can be identified and created. Whereas, if you were to deliver a speech impromptu, you have more of a chance to say things you don't mean and once those things are said, there is no way to take them back. When you write down the ideas, you are given the a chance to think about what to say, write it, and make revisions to your work, so it can be clearly understood by its readers- and in essence, the message will be clearly be exhibited.

Subsequently, when ideas are clearly expressed, their message can reach more people. Take
Martin Luther king's speech "I have a dream", his words were able to reach millions because of his clarity; he didn't spurt off the first idea he thought. With the "I have a Dream" speech there was a lot of preparation... Can you fathom how the presentation of the Idea of "I have a dream" would have been if Martin Luther King wouldn't have prepared and had time to analyze his work: he wouldn't be able to truly send out his work to the public. Gandhi's speeches were definitely handled with a lot of patience and with an extreme amount of clearness. He understood that posterity would one day read, meditate and even act out his words. When writers realize the impact of their words, the message becomes clear to the audience...and when the audience can interpret the ideas of the writer, the audience can relate the writer's words to aspects in their life. Finally, Hitler is the best proof that writing CAN create change (although the change wasn't positive). Before Hitler rose to power he didn't have an army to stage a coup...but he knew that he had his words. To those who believe that words are meaningless and that 'talk is cheap', they should consider the incredible social change that these three men made created when they used their words.

Violence is a powerful tool that can gain the control of people, but one of the most extraordinary aspects of the 'power of the pen' is the fact that words remain forever; moreover,
when words last they can be meditated on by posterity, and can be enacted. Gandhi lived by the idea that violence solves nothing, but nonviolence can change everything. Because of his beliefs Gandhi made a speech, "resistance and nonviolence", it was delivered and widely accepted, creating many followers, of those being Martin Luther King. These two men prove that not only can writing create change... but, without writing change cannot occur.

Taste of Freedom

Being a slave was what I was, that was my identity, not by choice but by birth. Total submission was forced upon me… this was not decided because of the choices I made, but rather the mother that I was born to. Both my mother and my father were black slaves, which meant when they produced me, I also 'inherited' that role.

I had to learn what hard labor was at a very young age. I was taught to wash laundry, clean houses and tend fields before some the other white children even learned to ride a bike. I was forced to be nothing but a mere lump of life, meant to work like an animal for someone else's profit...

Can you imagine working like a dog and not being able to enjoy the fruits of your labor? You could see yourself grow angry if someone took credit for something you have meticulously worked on... but envisage working sixteen hour days without adequate equipment or clothing for most all of your life, and knowing that when you die you didn't own any of the land you've worked on, none of the animals you've tended and even the children that you bore!
Life as a slave was hard, but as a female, slavery had its own list of problems...not only did we have to be the planter, the cook, the maid...we also had to give ourselves. Many of you couldn't imagine yourselves being forcibly raped every time a man lusts you and you having to submit to him. Most of the time the master decided to choose a young female...we don't even truly understand our bodily changes at that time, let alone having to deal with the misery of continually being sexually, physically and verbally abused: How many of you women had to endure nine months knowing that the child you are carrying was created by rape?

Rumor has it that childbearing for black slaves is a 'cake-walk'. But is it a 'cake-walk' to a woman who has delivered five children and only one got the chance to taste life... And after giving birth to her only living child, seeing it sold away like cargo?

With the constant fear of death, abuse and being sold, I had to find ways to deal with those facts...many a time, slaves dealt with the daily atrocities in ways that led to insanity!

So many slaves in the south would give anything to be where I am right now, no matter what the costs...and I have to say I am grateful to those people who felt obligated to take me in and help me in my time of need; I always thought myself to be a strong woman, but everyone needs help sometimes (and in my case I needed a lot of help)! I did this speech only to help inform you that there are countless other slaves, seeking freedom that needs your support, aide and encouragement!

When I was blessed to have the taste of freedom, I felt that after experiencing freedom I could never go back to slavery...never! With freedom, the land that I farmed on could be mine, the animals I tended could help profit me, and if I were blessed to bear a healthy child, that child would be mine.

And I leave you with this thought: If I were still a slave and someone...'promised me freedom, even for a minute, but I would have to give up my life after' I can boldly affirm that I would accept that offer!