KidLit Forum

Talk about the natural selection - the survival of the fittest in "White Fang"

I think this issue comes from the fact that creatures need to FEED:

"The aim of life was meat. Life itself was meat. Life lived on life. There were the eaters and the eaten." (part 2, chapter 5)

It's true for both sides (animals and humans) and when famine strikes the hunger games begin. The need and struggle to survive enflame those extreme/wild senses which are not that visible while being full. People have self control, sometimes, but animals never, especially predators. In these moments, if your injured, old, not a fast runner etc, you lose the battle. Animals kill to eat/feed, people kill for fun or because they're crazy. Who seems to be the lowest creature after all?!

I think that this book shows the real life of animals, where not everybody has the same chances to survive because somebody has to die in order the other to survive.
This situation fits also for humans, even though we have the same civil rights, some of us are higher than others.
If all beings will live and no one will die, the Earth will be full and the new beings will not have a chance to live, they will die.

This Darwinian concept in the book refers to a natural selection, only those strong can survive. White Fang in order to survive he adapted to human environment, learn the laws and used them in his advantage. His genetic basis permitted him to cross all the obstacles among the other dogs. To protect his species was in his blood as an innate feature. Therefore the only thing that he had to do was to adapt and live.