| Jack London was one of the most famous novelists in America in the early 20th century. During his 40-year lifetime, he turned out 19 novels, 18 short stories and treatises. "Superman"is Jack London's most favorite subject. The hero in his works (no matter whether it's an animal or a human being) often has a primitive and wild power. And he always put the main character in a life-and-death situation. Through an authentic description of the essence of the relationship between man and nature, people and society, and the relationship among people, he showed his observation and perspective for society and life. The main character in his works has iron will and belief, and seek for survival and success through his or her own struggle. Jack London portrayed varieties of "supermen"in his works. Such as Buck in The Call of the Wild, White Fang in White Fang, Captain Wolf Larsen in The Sea Wolf, Martin Eden in Martin Eden, etc. They are all of original disposition and impress the readers deeply. The superman-theme characteristic originated from London's rich and frustrated life experiences and his mixed thoughts and beliefs which formed after his wide reading. London was born the wrong side of the tracks. He led an extremely poor life since he was very young, and he began his writing career by studying on his own. His youth experience fostered his deep sympathy and profound concern for the working class. At the same time, the hardships made him strong-willed. In his early youth, Jack London had read about Manifesto of the Communist Party by Marx. He accepted the socialist thoughts and joined the American Socialist Worker Party. Meanwhile, he accepted Darwin's Theory of Evolution, Herbert Spencer's Social Darwinism, especially Nietzsche's Superman Ideology, which had a tremendous influence on his life and works. But these incompatible ideas don't share equal parts in his head. They weighed differently in different phases of London's life and displayed variously in London's works. Moreover, these ideas appear one-after-another rising and falling, hence reflected London's unique literary creation and varying spiritual pursuits. The Call of the Wild by London in 1903 was a story about a dog changed into a wolf. It contains the Evolutionism, Superman Ideology and Social Darwinism. It also expresses the author's fiery-hot spiritual pursuit at his ascending lifetime----the spontaneous revolt of the ruling class, the pursuit of independence, freedom and dignity, the yearning of a simple life. Three years after, when London had reached the summit of his career, he wrote another animal story named White Fang. It tells about how a wolf was tamed to a dog. And this story indicated London's attitudes towards life at that time----his longing for melting into the so-called bourgeois civilized society, complyingwith the environment, to be the strong in survival competition. In 1909, London produced Martin Eden which was much like an autobiography. It tells about a young sailor Martin's story, who went all out to match his lover Rose. Martin became a famous writer at last by being self-taught. But shortly after that he committed suicide because the disillusion of his ideals. London claimed that he wrote the book to be against Nietzsche's superman philosophy and individualism. However, he criticized Martin a little but praised him a lot in it. This novel showed that London's passion for socialism was diminishing. He searched for the nature of a true life, but depressingly wandering between the wilderness and the so-called civilized society, couldn't find his way out. Jack London's life and works are permeated with the theme of superman, which presents the confusion of his thoughts and beliefs. London himself also committed suicide to end his life, just like Martin. Because he became spiritually barren and disappointed after his success in career. It was really a bitter irony and great pity.
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