The Man with the Gash by Jack London
The novel revolves around a man who has been severely injured and left for dead on the streets of San Francisco's Chinatown. He is found by a Chinese woman who nurses him back to health. As he recovers, he becomes embroiled in her life and the lives of those around her, including a group of Chinese gangsters. The story explores themes of identity, community, and redemption.
By Jack London · First published 1908 · Genre: Adventure, Drama, Psychological Fiction · 5,422 words
First lines
Jacob Kent had suffered from cupidity all the days of his life. This, in turn, had engendered a chronic distrustfulness, and his mind and character had become so warped that he was a very disagreeable man to deal with. He was also a victim to somnambulic propensities, and very set in his ideas. He had been a weaver of cloth from the cradle, until the fever of Klondike had entered his blood and torn him away from his loom. His cabin stood midway between Sixty Mile Post and the Stuart River; and men who made it a custom to travel the trail to Dawson, likened him to a robber baron, perched in his fortress and exacting toll from the caravans that used his ill-kept roads. Since a certain amount of history was required in the construction of this figure, the less cultured wayfarers from Stuart River were prone to describe him after a still more primordial fashion, in which a command of strong adjectives was to be chiefly noted.
What this Textopian page supports
The Man with the Gash is listed on Textopian as a short story by Jack London, dated 1908 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Jack London
- Date: 1908 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Adventure, Drama, Psychological Fiction, Western, Mystery
- Length: 5,422 words
- Structure: 1 section, 91 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Man with the Gash by Jack London
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Man with the Gash?
- How does this short story by Jack London fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Adventure first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- An Adventure In The Upper Sea by Jack London
- Jan The Unrepentant by Jack London
- The Unexpected by Jack London
- The Mutiny Of The Elsinore by Jack London
- The Story Of Jees Uck by Jack London
- The Game by Jack London
Genres
- Adventure — The story is set in the Klondike during the gold rush, featuring themes of survival, exploration, and the harsh realities of frontier life.
- Drama — The narrative focuses on the psychological tension and moral dilemmas faced by the characters, particularly Jacob Kent's paranoia and greed.
- Psychological Fiction — The plot delves into the mental state of Jacob Kent, exploring his fears, dreams, and the impact of his greed on his psyche.
- Western — The setting and themes align with the Western genre, including the rugged landscape, lawlessness, and individualism.
Tags
Adventure · Fiction · Novel · Classic · Literary · American · 19th Century · Sea Story · Maritime · Thriller · Suspense · Action