Comparing Darwin And Origin Of The Species
The first idea that both Darwin and London relate to in their works is the conflict of an individual against another individual within the same species. In life, there is an imperative need to be the best of the best. In order to fulfill this goal, animals must compete against one another to claim the higher position. For example, in wolves, there is an organized social structure where at the top sits the alpha-male, the strongest and most skillful wolf in a pack who has won his way up. Likewise, in Origin of the Species, Darwin said: “as more individuals are produced than can possibly survive, there must in every case be a struggle for existence, either one individual with another of the same species, or with the individuals of distinct species,
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The dogs, filled with grief and weakness, are tired from the strenuous journey, so they are unable to restart the heavy sled, but Hal continues to forcefully abuse them with a whip and a club. Seeing this, John Thornton becomes infuriated and lugubriously endeavors to protect the dogs. The narrator describes the ongoing scene: “And then, suddenly, without warning, uttering a cry that was inarticulate and more like the cry of an animal, John Thornton sprang upon the man who wielded the club. Hal was hurled backward, as though struck by a falling tree” (London 68). In this scene, the two opponents of the same species are John Thornton and Hal; a human against another human. John Thornton goes very far to protect the wellbeing of other animals, but to do so successfully, it requires some intervention. Both of the men want Buck, a vital resource to the aid of gold-mining, but only one person can have Buck. The winner, John Thornton, who gets to keep Buck is the stronger human being. The weaker one, Hal, walks away with nothing, and dies off soon afterwards. These examples seen in Darwin and London’s work support the idea of how change fosters growth because when any two organisms are paired to fight each other, only one will win: the strongest of the two will defeat the weaker opponent, so it leads to a better species overall because there is no chance to pass down weakness when
The dogs, filled with grief and weakness, are tired from the strenuous journey, so they are unable to restart the heavy sled, but Hal continues to forcefully abuse them with a whip and a club. Seeing this, John Thornton becomes infuriated and lugubriously endeavors to protect the dogs. The narrator describes the ongoing scene: “And then, suddenly, without warning, uttering a cry that was inarticulate and more like the cry of an animal, John Thornton sprang upon the man who wielded the club. Hal was hurled backward, as though struck by a falling tree” (London 68). In this scene, the two opponents of the same species are John Thornton and Hal; a human against another human. John Thornton goes very far to protect the wellbeing of other animals, but to do so successfully, it requires some intervention. Both of the men want Buck, a vital resource to the aid of gold-mining, but only one person can have Buck. The winner, John Thornton, who gets to keep Buck is the stronger human being. The weaker one, Hal, walks away with nothing, and dies off soon afterwards. These examples seen in Darwin and London’s work support the idea of how change fosters growth because when any two organisms are paired to fight each other, only one will win: the strongest of the two will defeat the weaker opponent, so it leads to a better species overall because there is no chance to pass down weakness when