The stark reality is the duality of our nature, both wild
and tame, a ying and yang that thrives in the soul of every living thing...
Jack London's book White
Fang is an allegory that explores both sides of our nature. The story revolves around a wolf-dog and his
journey from a wild animal to a domesticated pet. The duality of White Fang, being half wolf and
half dog, summarizes the entire meaning of London's story in that we have a
foot in both Worlds. We're all wild and
tame at the same time. We may wish to
follow one path or the other, but the other side exists, and can reveal itself
at any opportune moment. This ebb and
flow runs through the entirety of London's book, a companion volume to Call of the Wild, which tells a similar
tale, in reverse.
You can read a first edition copy here: