Final Social Darwinism in Jack London.doc

毕业论文（设计）Social Darwinism in Jack Londons Martin Eden1. Introduction11.1 Background and definition of Social Darwinism11.2 Background of Jack London22. Struggle for success32.1. Trying to win Ruths love32.2. Striving for becoming a famous writer42.2.1 Studying hard42.2.2 The episodes of Cheese-Face and in the laundry53. Life after success and the ending73.1 The break of love73.2 Loneliness83.3 Brissendens suicide94. Conclusion11Notes14Bibliography151. Introduction1.1 Background and definition of Social DarwinismAccording to the Encyclopedia, Social Darwinism is a theory that persons, groups, and races are subject to the same laws of natural selection as Charles Darwin had perceived in plants and animals in nature. According to the theory, which was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the weak were diminished and their cultures delimited, while the strong grow in power and in cultural influence over the weak. 1 Herbert Spencer, the father of Social Darwinism as an ethical theory, was thinking in terms of elitists “might makes right” sorts of view long before Darwin published his theory. However, Spencer quickly adapted Darwinian ideas to his own ethical theories. The concept of adaptation allowed him to claim that the rich and powerful were better adapted to the social and economic climate of the time, and the concept of natural selection allowed him to argue that it was natural, normal, and proper for the strong to thrive at the expense of the weak. After all, he claimed, that is exactly what goes on in nature every day. Social Darwinism is an application of the theory of natural selection to social, political, and economic issues. In its simplest form, Social Darwinism follows the mantra of the strongest survives, and it includes the human societys rules. 1.2 Background of Jack LondonJack London (1876-1916), the prolific American novelist and short story writer, whose works deal romantically with the overwhelming power of nature and the struggle for survival. Jack London was born on January 12, 1876, in San Francisco. Jack London, whose life symbolized the power of will, was the most successful writer in America in the early 20th Century. His vigorous stories of men and animals against the environment, and survival against hardships were drawn mainly from his own experience. An illegitimate child, London passed his childhood in poverty in the Oakland slums. At the age of 17, he ventured to sea on a sealing ship. The turning point of his life was a thirty-day imprisonment that was so degrading it made him decides to turn to education and pursue a career in writing. At 19, London crammed a four-year high school course into one year and entered the University, but a year later, he quit to seek a fortune in a gold rush. Poor and unable to find work when he returned, he decided to earn a living as a writer. After all, he succeeded, becoming the highest paid, most popular novelist and short story writer of his day. Martin Eden is considered the greatest novel in Jack Londons writing career. The optimism and energy with which he tackled his task are best conveyed in his autobiographical novel Martin Eden. Martin Eden and Jack London have similar experience. They both earn their living since childhood, have been sailors and later educate themselves and became famous writers. Along with his books and stories, however, London a man whose fabulous success was due not to special favor of any kind, but to a combination of unusual mental ability and immense vitality.2. Struggle for success2.1. Trying to win Ruths love It was the first time for Eden, a poor young man, to know the upper-class when he called at the Morse house. London vividly describes Edens yearning towards this intellectual life: “How they loved each other, the members of this family! There flashed into his mind the picture of her mother, of the kiss of greeting, and of the pair of them walking toward him with arms entwined. Not in his world were such displays of affection between parents and children made. It was a revelation of the heights of existence that were attained in the world above. It was the finest thing yet that he had seen in this small glimpse of that world.”2 Eden was blinded by the new world in front of him. There were not such displays of existence in his world before, but now they were veritably performed within his reach. He thought that was the finest thing yet in his small glimpse of the world. He was moved deeply, drunken in this warm atmosphere, and his heart was melted with sympathetic tenderness came from Ruth. Ruths beauty and her graceful behavior urged him to strive in order to match her: “She was a pale, ethereal creature, with wide, spiritual blue eyes and a wealth of golden hair. He did not know how she was dressed, except that the dress was as wonderful as she. He likened her to a pale gold flower upon a slender stem. No, she was a spirit, a divinity, a goddess; such sublimated beauty was not of the earth.”3 Edens first sight on Ruth was the initial point of his tragic destination. It was love that made Eden to study hard, because he wanted to cross the impossible gulf that separated Ruth and him, even if he was very familiar with one idea that they were belong to two totally different classes. However, he got another idea that he must win Ruths hand because only in this way can satisfy his individual demand for happiness when they get married. When Ruth talked about literature that Eden was very interested in, he thought there was a kind of power, forcing him to turn a new leaf of his life: “Here was intellectual life, he thought, and here was beauty, warm and wonderful as he had never dreamed it could be. He forgot himself and stared at her with hungry eyes. Here was something to live for, to win to, to fight for - ay, and die for.”4 From this we know that this kind of power is just the strength of literature, the strength of knowledge. It was Martin Edens determination to be a strong man in the upper class that made him to be a social Darwinist. It was his will to win Ruths love that backed him during this process. The pursuit of his own love was the foremost original motivation which brought continuous inspiration for his writing, especially for his poetry. Love enlightened him with desire of knowledge which turned out to be the initial source of his struggling.What he did as a Social Darwinist pioneer did, completely in a Social Darwinist way to break barriers: unconquerable, never resting, fighting to the last second. He was an embodiment of Social Darwinism.2.2. Striving for becoming a famous writer 2.2.1 Studying hardComing back from Ruths house, Eden made the decision to pursue knowledge and achieving reputation in literature to win Ruths heart. He dreamed of becoming a famous writer, which can also make him match Ruth. Martin lived in his elder sisters family, came back after Ruth, thought his elder sisters family was dirty, vulgar, and boring. He started to think about the huge disparity between Ruth and himself, in order to enable himself to match her, he thought he must crawl upward diligently. He was very confident of himself, and he was certain to finish whatever he wanted to do. He wrote day and night, and listed a series of goals, such as eagerly studying Darwinism, systematically learning English grammar used by the upper-class, trying to debate as well as making a speech. He worked hard for ten-odd hours but only slept less than five hours. He struggled through in spite of any advice or encouragement from others, much less discouragement. He was fascinated with Spencers principals and adapted his theory of evolution where individuals with the best-acquired traits would survive. He said to Ruth: “I know what I have in me. No one knows that so well as I. I know I shall succeed. I will not be kept down. I am afire with what I have to say in verse, and fiction, and essay.”5 He has been confronting with numerous adversities several times and only a little of frustration and dejection will throw him off the ladder to his dreams. But he never really feels disappointed and always holds the conviction that he will succeed, he will win Ruths heart, and he will surpass every individual who is honored by the society as role models. Mastering much knowledge of English grammar is his first endeavor to learn, he has overcome his natural weakness; he has overcome his desire of sleeping only to devote all 19 consecutive awaken hours to study; he has overcome his physiological limit to accomplish at least three times harder the labor of ordinary men each day in the laundry; he has overcome his need of food and sleep and company to make his creative inspiration into the masterpiece Overdue, he lived as a recluse and becomes a writing-machine.He fights to break up the entanglement of his working-class as to enter the realm of civilization and beauty but he fails and that leads to his self-destruction.Social Darwinism emphasizes the “survival for the fittest”, that is only the most adapted in the environment could survive and become the winner. In the reversal, those who cannot adapt the surrounding fail, even die out in the world. The change to new environment acquires powerful motivation, adamant will and tough effort. The progress of this growth is devious, hardy and slow. But from this book, Martin Eden shows us the fortitude of his nature to pave the way for his success. His unjaded strive led him, an uneducated young man to the paradise of literature where his thought about the world essentially altered.2.2.2 The episodes of Cheese-Face and in the laundry The Cheese-Face and the laundry episodes are the most powerful in the novel. When Martin Eden received the returned manuscripts which he bundled off to news editors in a high hope of being accepted and appreciated at first, and had no stamp to continue them on their travels, he buried his face in his arms and cried. But he was not weak-willed, was not down and out. He struggled to his feet and nothing could halt him from being the strongest man. Then he recalled his first fight with Cheese-Face, a boy who was two years older than him. Martin Eden was whipped hundreds of times, but he stayed and fought against Cheese-Face and finally beat him drastically 11 years later.They are extremely similar experiences. They are hard physical experiences, and Eden survives them both because of his endurance and ability to withstand physical pain.It is interesting to note that Eden recalls the Cheese-Face incident when he is at the bottom, when rejection slip after rejection slip has totally defeated him for the moment when long hard work has brought no reward. It is then that he recalls his great triumph; it is then that he reminds himself that he can withstand any physical pain. He tells himself that he will succeed. Similarly, the laundry is another test of Edens physical endurance. Again his mind is overwhelmed by the physical tolerance, and as he fought like a brute against Cheese-Face, so he works and lives like an animal in the laundry. As in the Cheese-Face incident, Edens mind, his introspective tool, is shattered. It is impossible for Eden to work like an animal and think on a high level at the same time. In fact, working in the laundry is very hard to endure. Ceaselessly active, head and hand, an intelligent machine, all that constituted him a man was devoted to furnishing that intelligence. “There was no room in his brain for him to think. All the broad and space of his mind were closed and hermetically sealed. The chamber of his soul was a narrow room，a conning tower, whence were directed his arm and shoulder muscles, his ten nimble fingers, and the swift-moving iron along its steaming path in broad.”6 Though physically, Eden is fairly well up working at the laundry during the week, and bicycling to San Francisco to see Ruth on the weekends, he still complained to his partner, Joe, that “Me for the tropics and no clothes.”Martin Eden felt strengthened by the memory of his fight against Cheese -Face. To struggle for the strongest is rooted in his mind in his childhood. Though countless times beaten by Cheese-Face, it was impossible for Martin Eden to “quit, let alone give in”. The intense yearning to “lick Cheese-Face” from his fortitude of nature encouraged and enabled him to win the tough battle. His strive to beat Cheese-Face just likes a savage of the Stone Age to struggle to survive, which coincided with the main idea of Social Darwinism. With this spirit, he suffered and toiled and sweated and bled, and exulted all the way to his eventual success in his writing career.3. Life after success and the ending3.1 The break of loveThe main motivation urging him to strive is to win Ruths hand. Ruth was enchanted by Edens masculine beauty at first, but finally gave him up when he refused to be remodeled in her way. In the next two years, Eden endeavored and made all his efforts to strive for a higher status, which could go with Ruth. But Edens papers sometime were attacked here and there, which made Ruth lose her heart of him. It is a fatal blow for Eden, because love was the last thing supported him to struggle with life at that time. But after his success Ruth came back to him and wanted to marry him. This made Eden realize the falsity and ugliness of bourgeoisie and the false love Ruth had gave him. “He knew now, that he not really loved her. It was the idealized Ruth he had loved, an ethereal creature of his own creating, the bright luminous spirit of his love-poems. The real bourgeois Ruth, with all the bourgeois failings and with the hopeless cramp of the bourgeois psychology in her mind, he had never loved.”7 Eden was so individualistic and eccentric on love that he could not find any significance in the world when he lost it. That made him abandoned the fight with life, and could not stand life. He had been unafraid of life, but never dreamed of being tired of life. The love for Ruth was all the way his backup as well as powerful initial energy to struggle for a higher status. The break of love was the breakdown of life. Without aim, Martin Eden ceased thinking and was not a Social Darwinist pioneer any more. He was no longer a writing machine, working ten-odd hours a day. He was empty of any desire for anything. When life became an aching weariness, death was ready to smooth away to everlasting sleep Eden jumped into the Pacific Ocean to get his peace forever.3.2 LonelinessLoneliness is a continuously stated problem for Eden throughout the book. Because he is entranced and possessed by the fruit of the upper-class, knowledge, Eden breaks off relations with his original class, his first paradise. He finds this lower class too coarse, ill-mannered, and stupid. Even after his disillusionment with the upper class, he finds it impossible to return to the lower class. We can see it from the following: He felt old-centuries older than those careless, care-free young companions of his others days. He had traveled far, too far to go back. Their mode of life, which had once been his, was now distasteful to him. He was disappointed in it at all. He had developed into an alien. “He was too far removed. Too many thousands of opened books yawned between them and him. He had traveled in the vast realm of intellect until he could no longer return home.”8 Anyway, Eden was human, and his gregarious need for companionship remained unsatisfied. He had found no new home. Even those socialists who were intelligently equal to him. They had different, even contradictory philosophies. Martin Eden held the belief that the strong would rule, and naturally the weak would diminish. Obviously, it was opposite to what the socialists believed: the power of ordinary people was the greatest one and there was no more man on horseback, willy-nilly he would be dragged down before he gets astride. With this gap, this contradiction was impossible to be mediated. As the working class friends could not understand him, as his own family could not understand him, as the bourgeoisie could not understand him, so as Lizzie, whom he honored high, could not understand him nor the honor he paid her. His sadness was not untouched with bitterness as he thought it over. He discovered that “he was self-analytical, too much so to live, single heart and single hand, so primitive an existence.”9Martin Eden was enlightened by Ruth and put forward his first step for a writer and became a Social Darwinist. Despite of discouragement from his lover, his relatives and others, he rushed into the sea of knowledge alone. Though alone, he swung to the bank of his ideal upper class. But his approaching only enabled him to discover an opposite world which he disgusted so much that he only longed to swing back. But it was too far for him to go back. He was lost, did not know where his destination was. In the endless ocean, he swung aimlessly as a ship without compass. Without direction, the Social Darwinist did not know how to struggle.3.3 Brissendens suicide Brissenden, a proletarian poet and Edens only friend, is another key person in this novel who leads to Edens tragedy. When they first talk and drink, Eden thinks that Brissenden knows everything and decides that here is the second intellectual man he has met. “Living language flowed from him His thin lips were like a bugle, from which rang the crash and tumult of cosmic strife, phrases that sounded clear as silver. yet said something more - the poets word, the transcendental Ruth, elusive and without words which could express, and which none the less found expression in the subtle and all but ungraspable connotations of common words investing known words with unknown significances, he conveyed to Martins consciousness messages that were incommunicab