The Incarnation Of Contradictory Thoughts:The Images Of Boxers In Jack London's Works

Jack London(1876-191 6)is an American writer who lived in end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of twentieth century.This turbulent period witnessed the tremendous economic development,accelerated industrialization and urbanization,the surge of different ideological trends as well as various social problems in the United States.At the same time,the development of boxing came into an important stage.Boxing became an indispensable part of American people's entertainment.The boxers that Jack London created provide good materials to study the features of the time in the United States and his thoughts.The author takes the boxers in London's works as the subject,analyzing the cultural significance carried by these boxers and revealing London's contradictory thoughts.First of all,these boxers indicate London's contradictory idea of social Darwinism.With the development of capitalism,the competition between enterprises became fiercer.Thus,social Darwinism which emphasized the "survival of the fittest" became popular in the US.Boxers in London's works feature human nature and brutish characteristics.Boxers' living environment is as harsh as the natural environment.The competition between boxers in London's early works observes the principle of "the survival of the fittest".But London's later works break the restriction of social Darwinism and embody the principle of "survival of the moral superior".Second,boxers in London's works display his contradictory attitude to racism.Jack London as a sport journalist reported the prizefights between African-American Jack Johnson and white boxing champions.His description about boxers shows that London has realized Johnson's greatness,but he is still restricted by the stereotype of "white supremacy".London's attitude also indicates the general attitude of whites in his time:they had seen achievements made by blacks,but they were reluctant to believe that the authority of whites could be challenged.Third,boxers in London's works also manifest his contradiction on how to reconstruct masculinity.People in that time worried that men would lose their dominance in the society under the attack of industrial civilization.Males can show their physical beauty,attract females and gain incomes through boxing to reconstruct masculinity.However,the torture and corruption brought by urban life lead boxers in London's later works to choose to depart boxing rings,later to leave cities and to go to countryside.Finally,they choose to "become the real men" in nature.To sum up,the images of boxers in Jack London's works are an incarnation of London's ambivalent thoughts.As for the reason of London's inner conflicts,it cannot be separated from social background and ideological trends,and it is closely related to London's personal experience.To a certain degree,Jack London finds resonance in boxing which is a sport full of contradiction in its cultural significance.From this perspective,these boxers in London's works carry important social meaning and cultural significance.