Unable to escape from the ship as it sails farther from land, and justifiably afraid of Larsen, Humphrey accepts his fate. Rather than satisfy Humphrey’s request and bring him safely to port in San Francisco, Larsen decides to keep Humphrey as the new cabin boy. Once recovered, Humphrey learns from the crew that he is aboard the Ghost under the command of Wolf Larsen. He is rescued from drowning by a passing schooner and brought aboard.
The Sea-Wolf begins with Humphrey Van Weyden flung into the ocean just outside San Francisco after the passenger ship he was travelling on sinks. Not only are the characters continually battling the elements of wind, ocean current, storms, and fog, but they must decide how to act towards one another without the policing forces of civilized society available to keep some men from straying too far into brutality. The setting is crucial to understanding the plot: All of the characters are removed from civilized society, whether on the Ghost or stranded on Endeavor Island. Written in the first person from the point of view of the novel’s protagonist, the bookish gentleman Humphrey Van Weyden, The Sea-Wolf explores issues relating to class, strength, and willpower. It is a strongly psychological adventure novel with characters who confront complex moral and philosophical quandaries while they struggle against the forces of nature. Along with London’s other famous works, The Call of the Wild and White Fang, The Sea-Wolf was an instant success and inspired several film adaptations.
0 kommentar(er)
