《野性的呼唤》和《白牙》适者生存的对比分析(2)
本文将依据适者生存理论对巴克和白牙选择不同命运的原因进行对比分析，从而来阐述适者生存不仅指在残酷的生存竞争中只有强者能生存下来，而且也指另外一种适应，是对文明的适应，在其过程中爱起到了关键作用。
关键词：适者生存，巴克，白牙
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements. i
Abstract. ii
摘要 iii
1 Introduction. 1
2 Survival of the Fittest Applied to Buck and White Fang 3
2.1 Survival of the Fittest Applied to Buck 3
2.2 Survival of the Fittest Applied to White Fang 5
3 Different Owners of Buck and White Fang.. 7
3.1 Owners of Buck. 7
3.2 Owners of White Fang. . 8
4 Different Fates of Buck and White Fang.. 12
4.1 Buck: Back to Nature. 12
4.2 White Fang: Adapt to Civilization.. 12
5 Causes of Different Fates.. 14
5.1 The Harsh Cold Weather.. 14
5.2 The Way of Adaptation to Life15
5.3 The Influence of Human Beings 16
5.4 The Call of the Wild . 16
5.5 The Call of the Kind..17
6 Conclusion 18
Bibliography 19
The phrase “survival of the fittest” originated from Charles Darwin’s book On the Origin of Species. In the aspect of biology, it means that the stronger creatures will live and the weaker ones will be eliminated. Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, especially the theory of survival of the fittest, had a great impact on people from the 19th century to the 20th century (c.f. Yu Jianhua, 2009:7). Jack London, one of the most brilliant American writers, was born in 1876. He was pretty interested in the theory of evolution and Social Darwinism. Thus all his works showed us his own understanding of Charles Darwin’s theory and Herbert Spencer’s Social Darwinism.
San Francisco, in the 19th century, was a city where people of different descents struggled for better life in agony of the great depression which was caused by the economic crisis in 1873. Jack London’s family was no exception. Since his stepfather was physically ill, little Jack had to take up a heavy responsibility to support his family. He was once a child labor, oyster stealer, sailor, tramp, etc.
A big temptation attracted Jack London till the second Gold Rush began in the northern Klondike area. He was so excited that he saved 1500 dollars and bought a fur coat, a fur hat, high boots, red flannel shirts, blankets, a tent, a stove, sliding gears, a whip, and so on (see Alex Kershaw, 1997:89). The Call of the Wild and White Fang were two novels, created on the basis of Jack London’s own adventurous experience in Klondike. According to Yu Jianhua (2009:36), such harsh cold northern environment in Klondike made survival the eternal theme in London’s novels. It was Klondike that made Jack London a true man; it was in Klondike that struggle for existence pested all the hypocrisy of society (see Clarice Stasz, 2000:62). The story background of The Call of the Wild was the living experience of Buck in the northern world after he was abducted by a servant of his master. The story background of White Fang was the adventurous experience of White Fang in the northern world after he joined the human camp.
Both The Call of the Wild and White Fang reveal the theme of Survival of the Fittest. The two novels describe different choices of fate of the two dogs, Buck and White Fang, in the northern world. Therefore, my thesis will resort to the theory of Survival of the Fittest to make a comparative analysis of the reasons why Buck and White Fang choose different life styles so as to present the view that Survival of the Fittest not only means the adaption to the cruel competition for survival but also the adaption to the civilized life, in which love plays a crucial role.