KidLit Forum

What I really liked about this book is the fact that while I was reading, it came across my mind the impression that it was not actually about a wolf but about humanity. If we look at the process of White Fang’s civilization/taming, we can associate it to the entire humanity, that progressed (over centuries) from nature/wilderness to civilization. In fact, we all are ‘’wild’’ creatures that learn day by day to control their instincts through education, morality.

What I found very interesting in this book is the influence of one’s heredity over future development. We can see that the narrator highlights the influence of environment and heredity over White Fang, he is "one-fourth dog, three-fourths wolf," exemplifying the struggle within him between his civilized impulses and his wild ones. Even if he is a little bit civilized in the end of the book, he can’t resisit his wild impulses and continues to kill his master’s chickens.

Another important idea found in the text is Darwin’s discovery of natural selection. The process of natural selection means that only the strongestand most adaptable elements of a species will survive. This idea is embodied by the character, White Fang. From the beginning, he is the strongest cub, the only one of the cubs which survives the famine. His strength and intelligence make him the most feared dog in the Indian region. While he defends Judge Scott, White Fang takes three bullets but is able to survive. One element of the book that somehow is unrealistic is White Fang's ability to adapt to any new circumstances and survive. He learns how to fight the other dogs, he learns to obey new masters, he learns to fight under the evil guidance of Beauty and, finally, he learns to love and be tamed byWeedon Scott.

Animals do not understand the idea of changing masters....the same thing happened with White Fang when he was sold by Gray Beaver, and when he got back... he was brutally beaten. I think he thought he was kidnapped and his old master will be happy when he gets back.

I'm sorry, but I don't agree with you Maria. It's wrong to think that as long as you provide an animal food and all "life necessities" the rest doesn't matter. We don't know what's in animals minds when they change their owners, but I'm sure that each owner contributes to the development or to the regression of an animal. When treated with kindness they become loving animals, but on the other hand, violence leads to violence. I think that a good master can make the difference between life and death.

We don't know what animals think, but it is sure that they have feelings. According to Mark Bekoff, animals know the concept of the "same" and "different", so White Fang felt the difference and was conscious, he realizes what happens with him. "Many animals experiences joy, sadness and sorrow, it is narrow minded to think that we are the only species with minds". In conclusion, White Fang realizes that the masters are changing and he even suffered (being beaten and having a bad master).

Good point, Alina!

I think that this book shows us that we are somehow related to animals, we are responsible for them. According to R-G Grey, animals do not have desires, but who knows maybe they have, I do not think that they are just some organic machines like Descartes asserted. I think that the story of White Fang illustrates in a very good way animals' feelings and the way they think.

It is nice to read again White Fang, this time I understood much more of it.

I liked the the way the narrator makes us understand how a little cub can perceive the world, the narrator is empathetically showing us how our actions as humans are understood by animals, and how they respond accordingly. I liked the psychology in this book, the behavior human-animal and animal-animal with its laws and hierachys.
From White Fang's first contact with human race we see humans behaving without any empathy: ''They surrounded the cub and laughed at him, while he wailed out his terror and his hurt", since then the little cob couldn't stand to be laughed at.
The way that White Fang understand human language is realistic: "Grey Beaver made mouth-noises which White Fang interpreted as not hostile, so he came still nearer" and also recognizing superiority in humans:"They were fire-makers! They were gods.", and the simple way he saw human hands (or human actions) is also plausible: "it was true that they sometimes gave meat, but more often they gave hurt. Hands were things to keep away from"
We follow the little cub in his evolution to maturity, from trying to fight gods, fearing them, recognizing them as superior gods, hating them and eventually loving them, fighting his wild impulse and learning lessons through beatings and cruelty, but also by love and patience.

"Hated by his kind and by mankind, indomitable, perpetually warred upon and himself waging perpetual war, his development was rapid and one-sided. This was no soil for kindliness and affection to blossom in. "

White Fang's first big deception was that his mother didn't fought against men, and accepted their sovereignty apparently without questioning, than their separation, and after a long waiting his mother did not recognized him. He also lacked a constant in relation with humans, because he changed masters, or the masters traded him, and this was very confusing for him, but only in a friendly environment he could eventually learn to tame his wildness, and to be accepted by his masters not as dog, but as a good wolf. This is in fact a story about duality: wildness and civilization, human-animal relationship, good people vs bad people, the relation wolf-dog between the two species but also the fight inside White Fang.

This is an attempt to make humans aware regarding animal psychology, an impulse for us to try to understand animal behavior and I think this is a good reading for children to show them for example what a big importance they have in their pet's live, or what is the proper way to teach animal or human to fight against primary impulses.