Critical Theories of Jack London's Call of the Wild and White Fang

Jack London did not adhere to any particular philosophical or critical theories. Instead, he fluctuated from one critical view to another as the moment seemed to warrant it. Perfect proof of this statement lies in the fact that The Call of the Wild (1903) shows the Darwinian theories of "survival of the fittest," as a dog is taken from its civilized Southland and is placed in the primitive North, where it must learn to cope with …

…concepts, he was not always consistent. For example while being very "naturalistic" in his philosophy, some of his chapters in The Call of the Wild touch upon a very romantic strain, evoking a desire in all of us for the romantic desire to escape from civilization and return to our primitives natures. It is the combination of these various ideas that causes London's fiction to be so appealing to such a large number of readers.