Jack London1876-1916Political Activist and Writer
Childhood Mother was Flora Wellman, a spiritualist and
music teacher Father was astrologer William Chaney Both parents were financially and
emotionally unstable—Wellman shot herself when Chaney demanded she abort the baby. Then, she gave the baby to an ex-slave named Virginia Prentiss to raise
When Flora recovered and married John London, a partially disabled Civil War veteran
Childhood, continued John Griffith Chaney became John Griffith
London and took the nickname of Jack The family lived in and around the San
Francisco Bay area, ultimately settling in Oakland where Jack finished grade school
His schooling was sporadic because of constant moves—family would be evicted for non-payment of rent
Work Was a child laborer
Swept saloons and pool halls
1889—began 12-18-hour shifts in a cannery
Borrowed enough to buy a small boat, became and oyster pirate
1893—signed on as a sailor on a voyage to Japan
Joined Kelley’s Army and marched all the way to Buffalo, NY
Returned to Oakland and attended Oakland High School in return for janitorial work. Began writing of his experiences
Studied and gained entrance to UC Berkeley in 1896, but left in 1897 and never graduated
First stories appeared in the high school paper
Formal EducationBeginnings of his writing career
Heinhold’s Saloon London loved his experiences as a sailor Heinhold’s Saloon was a hangout for
experienced sailors. He adopted it as a second—and sometimes first—home
Listened to the stories being told here and used them in his writing
Also was the beginning of his struggle with alcohol. His attraction to and attractiveness to women was already established
The Klondike London at 21 sailed
for the Gold Rush—the Klondike
No gold, but he did find dozens of experiences which he used in his writing
He also developed scurvy, which debilitated his body
His time in the Klondike gave him the basis for “To Build a Fire,” White Fang, and The Call of the Wild
It also gave him his politics—socialism—and a social conscience
Explosion of Magazines London had good
timing His writing career
coincided with the development of cheaper ways to print magazines, which needed content
By 1900 he was selling enough short stories and other works to earn $2500 ($65,00+ today)
Call of the Wild—1903—sold as a serial in a magazine and as a novel on its own—typical publishing method
Love and Marriage (Not with the same woman)
Marriages Bessie Maddern
(1900)—2 children—divorced 1904
Charmian Kittredge (1905)
Great Love Anna Strunsky
Writing for MoneyRanch
Bought ranch near Glen Ellen, California, in the Sonoma Mountains
Wrote many stories, articles and a few books to pay for the ranch, which bled money
Spent $80,000 on a stone mansion on the ranch ($1.95 million now), but it burned a week before they were to move in
Politics London was a socialist Agitated for child labor laws Wrote several polemics (see definition)
concerning child labor Ran for several offices in California Racial views
Complex—worried about “Yellow Peril” Wrote sympathetically about Mexican
immigrants, Japanese culture, and Jack Johnson, a black boxer
End of his Life Believed for years to be a suicide Death is attributed to uremia (uremic
poisoning from kidney disease) or a morphine overdose
He suffered toward the end of his life from the after-effects of late-stage alcoholism as well as dysentery, uremia, and the results of scurvy