Analysis of White Fang

Analysis of White Fang
Part I
The story begins with the introduction of three men, Bill, Henry, and dead Lord Alfred; the two main characters Bill and Henry were moving Lord Alfred’s body. There is a famine and the both of them do not have enough food. They were in a difficult situation since they are being pursued by a pack of hungry wolves. They were also running low on ammunition. At the beginning of the novel, Bill and Henry had six sled dogs. However, they realize one night that there were seven to be fed. However, they are surprised that the next morning only five dogs remain to be fed. Consequently, they get suspicious and notice that there is a she-wolf which visits the camp at night and lures the dogs away.
Bill decides to kill the she-wolf when they have only two dogs left. Unfortunately, he is killed by the pack of hungry wolf. Henry is, therefore, left alone with no ammunition and only two dogs. He can only cover a short distance each day. He is forced to make fire to protect himself after travelling for days. The following morning, he realizes that his wood supply is gone and he is unable to go out and look for some. He gives up, resigning to the inevitable but fortunately, gets rescued by a group of people who are also out in the wild.
The second part of the novel changes focus to the she-wolf. With the end of the famine, the pack of wolves separate. The she-wolf opts to travel with other three males. One of the wolves referred to as “One Eye” kills its two other male companions. The two wolves, the she-wolf and One Eye continue to travel together until she settles to give birth. When the cubs are still young, another famine strikes and all the cubs except one die. This one cub which is grey in color is the strongest of them all and the most adventurous. It learns early how to trap its own food and the lessons of the wilderness. In other words, it learns that it kills or it is killed, eats or is eaten.
In the third part of the novel, the she-wolf and the cub wander into an Indian camp. Here, the mother is identified by Gray Beaver, an Indian living in the camp. She responds to a call of Gray Beaver. The cub is named White Fang. Here in the camp, the cub must learn how to operate in the presence of humans apart from protecting itself against other puppies. The mother is taken away from it and when it attempts to follow her, it is seriously punished by Gray Beaver. This prompts him to learn that he must obey man. Gray Beaver takes White Fang with him to a nearby fort where the wolf gains fame for its ability to kill other dogs. This attracts the attention of Beauty Smith, an ugly man who tricks Beaver into selling White Fang. This man treats the wolf cruelly and constantly forces the wolf into fights with dogs. During one fight, White Fang gets almost killed by a bulldog and gets rescued by Weedon Scott. Weedon Scott buys White Fang from Smith.
White Fang slowly learns how to appreciate humans having been treated well by Scott. When Scott returns to his home, White Fang follows him. Then Scott takes it along where the wolf becomes domesticated. It wins the affection of the family owing to its extreme intelligence and bravery.

Part II
When reading the story, it is easy to notice that the first three chapters are somehow disconnected with the subsequent chapters. For instance, the characters Henry and Bill are not mentioned again in the novel. These first three chapters are so independent of the rest of the novel that they can be viewed to be a separate short story. However, in relation to the entire novel, this first part dramatically and forcefully presents the isolation and desolation against which the rest of the novel’s main body. In other words, it introduces the reader to the harsh environment in which every kind of life desperately struggles for existence. In addition, the novel begins with two men desperately struggling for their lives in the wild frozen wilderness. In this regard, the general feeling about the story is that of struggle.
The parts of the story that are moving include the part where the two men are surrounded by the wild with minimal portions, a copse and a pack of hungry wolves. Despite the cold, there is something lurking in the dark which presents an imminent danger to the men. Further, they are carrying a corpse which they are not sure whether they will be able to deliver at the destination. The dead man’s ghostly presence becomes dominant. While the dogs are mysteriously disappearing, the presence of the coffin plays around with the men` imaginations. Of course, one of the men dies having been attacked by the park of starving wolves that have been constantly pursuing them. The survivor becomes hopeless and waits for his inevitable moment of death. Just when the man resigns to fate, he gets rescued by other men in the wilderness. This part of the story instills both sympathy and fear for the men. The story, especially the first part, is similar in many respect to what one feels being in the wild.
The story demonstrates the continuous conflict existing between man and beasts. At the same time, it makes it possible for the reader to realize that animals are cunning in their savage ways. This can especially be seen in the manner in which the she-wolf lures off the male dogs. Further, man’s intelligence is in conflict with the isolation and desolation of the wild. The ending of the story is melodramatic even though it is a bit disappointing that the story is about domesticating a semi-wild animal. This is also surprising about the story since as one reads the initial chapters, there is a lot of expectation.
One more surprising thing about it is the turn that the story takes when it shifts to the perspective of the she-wolf. One becomes amazed to discover that the she wolf was once domesticated and belonged to Beaver. Additionally, it seems that the story is more about the wolves and their journey than one would assume when beginning to read the story. Actually, I had a feeling that the story would be about the two men and the corpse but this did not come to be.