What Life Means to Me by Jack London
The story revolves around a young man who has been imprisoned for murder and is awaiting execution. He reflects on his life, recalling the events that led him to this point. The narrative explores themes of morality, free will, and the human condition through the protagonist's introspection.
By Jack London · First published 1903 · Genre: Autobiography, Social Commentary, Philosophical · 3,905 words
First lines
I was born in the working-class. Early I discovered enthusiasm, ambition, and ideals; and to satisfy these became the problem of my child-life. My environment was crude and rough and raw. I had no outlook, but an uplook rather. My place in society was at the bottom. Here life offered nothing but sordidness and wretchedness, both of the flesh and the spirit; for here flesh and spirit were alike starved and tormented.
What this Textopian page supports
What Life Means to Me is listed on Textopian as an essay by Jack London, dated 1903 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Jack London
- Date: 1903 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Autobiography, Social Commentary, Philosophical, Political, Memoir
- Length: 3,905 words
- Structure: 1 section, 30 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for What Life Means to Me 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 What Life Means to Me?
- How does this essay by Jack London fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Autobiography first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Between The Living And The Dead by Voltairine De Cleyre
- Why There Is Evil In The World by Leo Tolstoy
- Human Life by Matthew Arnold
- Crying For The Light Volume 1 by James Ewing Ritchie
- Caesar Or Nothing by Pio Baroja
- The Art Of Leaving Off by Henry Van Dyke
Genres
- Autobiography — The work is a personal account of the author's life experiences and reflections.
- Social Commentary — The narrative critiques societal structures and class disparities.
- Philosophical — The text explores themes of existentialism and the human condition.
- Political — The work discusses socialist ideologies and revolutionary ideas.
Tags
Philosophical · Autobiographical · Memoir · Self-Discovery · Existentialism · Personal Growth · Life Reflections · Human Condition · Meaning of Life · Spirituality · Mortality · Purpose