The Sea Wolf by Jack London (1904)

Name: The Sea Wolf
Author: Jack London

The Sea Wolf is a novel by Jack London, first published in 1904. It tells the story of Humphrey Van Weyden, a literary critic who is a survivor of an ocean collision and is forced to serve as a crew member on the sealing schooner Ghost. The Ghost is captained by the ruthless Wolf Larsen, a brutal and powerful man who rules his crew with an iron fist. Humphrey is appalled by the cruelty and brutality of Wolf Larsen and his crew, and he struggles to survive in this harsh environment. As the novel progresses, Humphrey is forced to confront his own inner demons and come to terms with his own mortality. He also finds himself in a battle of wills with Wolf Larsen, as the two men clash over their opposing philosophies of life. The novel is a classic adventure story, as Humphrey is forced to confront the dangers of the sea and the cruelty of Wolf Larsen. It is also a psychological exploration of the human condition, as Humphrey is forced to confront his own inner demons and come to terms with his own mortality.

By Jack London · First published 1904 · Genre: Adventure Fiction, Naturalism, Romance · 39 chapters · 106,577 words

First lines

I scarcely know where to begin, though I sometimes facetiously place the cause of it all to Charley Furuseth's credit. He kept a summer cottage in Mill Valley, under the shadow of Mount Tamalpais, and never occupied it except when he loafed through the winter mouths and read Nietzsche and Schopenhauer to rest his brain. When summer came on, he elected to sweat out a hot and dusty existence in the city and to toil incessantly. Had it not been my custom to run up to see him every Saturday afternoon and to stop over till Monday morning, this particular January Monday morning would not have found me afloat on San Francisco Bay.

What this Textopian page supports

The Sea Wolf is listed on Textopian as a novel by Jack London, dated 1904 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: Jack London
Date: 1904 CE
Language: English
Genres: Adventure Fiction, Naturalism, Romance, Realism
Length: 106,577 words
Structure: 39 chapters, 3,533 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for The Sea Wolf 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 Sea Wolf?
How does this novel by Jack London fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Adventure Fiction first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Adventure Fiction — The Sea Wolf follows the adventures of protagonist Humphrey Van Weyden as he is taken captive by a ruthless sea captain and his crew.
Naturalism — The Sea Wolf is an example of naturalism, as it focuses on the harsh realities of life and the power of nature over man.
Romance — The Sea Wolf contains a romantic subplot between Humphrey and the captain's daughter, Maud Brewster.
Realism — The Sea Wolf is an example of realism, as it is set in a realistic world and contains realistic characters and situations.