The Eco-critical Analysis Of Jack London’s Three Animal Novels

Jack London is one of the most influential and successful writers in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Many of his works are very popular with readers of all ages. Many Chinese readers are fond of his works especially his animal novels such as The Call of the Wild, White Fang and Brown Wolf. While most scholars pay more attention to his naturalistic ideas in his works. This thesis will analyze London’s ecological concepts in these three novels from ecological perspective.Eco-criticism emerges with the threatening of ecological crises and develops with modern civilization. It explores the relationship between human beings and nature. Eco-criticism aims at negotiating the conflict of nature and human beings, especially focuses on the side-effects of human beings’development on environment. The most significant meaning of ecod-criticism is to arouse human beings’ecological awareness and accelerates their pace to protect nature. This thesis analyzes Jack London’s ecological complex expressed in his three animal novels.There are five chapters:The first chapter is introduction. The introduction is about the author’s life and experiences. It also introduces the background and purpose of this thesis. The novels blend London’s rough experiences in the northland with his descriptions of Buck’s struggling for survival in the cruel environment. With the growing threatening from ecological crises, the analysis of eco-criticism in author’s works has both literary and environmental significance.Chapter two focuses on the previous researches on Jack London and his works, especially The Call of the Wild, White Fang and Brown Wolf. Till now, most critics have researched the novels from different perspectives, among which the naturalistic criticism is the main stream of the literary comments. Jack London’s ecological consciousness is overlooked by most scholars. However, this thesis concentrates on the perspective of eco-criticism of his novels.Chapter three introduces the development of eco-criticism and the basic principles of eco-criticism which consists of anthropocentrism and ecological wholism.Chapter four is the main part of this research. It interprets London’s ecological ideas from two opposite sides and points out the ideal solution of relationship of human beings and nature. It illustrates London’s criticism of anthropocentrism in the description of unhealthy relationship between the dogs and evil masters. London’s appreciation of ecological wholism expresses in the harmonious relationship of dogs and men. Moreover, London points out the ideal destination for human beings and nature is keeping harmonious relationship between them. Conclusion summarizes the main idea of this thesis and calls for awakening the readers’ ecological consciousness.