White Fang Summary – Jack London

“White Fang,” or its original title, is a novel written by Jack London and published in 1909. The book is considered one of the 100 Essential Works. The work provides a critical perspective on both the natural world and the harsh realities of human life, as seen through the eyes of a wild wolf.

Summary of White Fang Book

In the desolate and cold wilderness, a group of sled dogs works on a frozen trail, pulling a sled carrying the remains of a noble adventurer. As darkness falls, the sled drivers, Bill and Henry, become increasingly worried. Their supplies are dwindling, and a hungry wolf pack closely follows them. Bill also suspects that a wolf is steals foods and supplies from their camp.

Every morning, Bill and Henry discover that one of Their dogs are absent, presumably devoured by the pack of wolves. One evening, an enigmatic female wolf unveils herself. in the light of the fire. Bill and Henry conclude that she roams around their camp and lures their dogs into the wilderness.

The two sled drivers and the remaining three dogs continue on the trail, but they are attacked by the wolf pack. Bill tries to shoot the wolves to save his dogs but fails and is consumed by the pack. With only two hunting dogs remaining, Henry struggles against the wolf attacks. He builds a fire around himself, but the wolves circulate dangerously. They almost devour him, but a group of travelers saves Henry before the wolves can defeat him.

Meanwhile, the starving wild wolf pack splits into small groups to search for food. The she-wolf and a gray wolf, One Eye, mate and settle in a cave. The she-wolf, named Kiche, gives birth to a litter of pups. All the pups die except one, named “White Fang,” who survives. White Fang grows strong and wild, learning to hunt and fight on his own. Together, they hunt a wild lynx.

One day, White Fang and the she-wolf come across an Indian camp, where the she-wolf’s former owner, Gray Beaver, captures them. (Gray Beaver is actually the one who raised the she-wolf named Kiche; Kiche later escapes into the wild.) Gray Beaver eventually sells Kiche but keeps WhiteFang. The camp’s pups, led by Lip-lip, bully White wolf and make him an outcast.

The Journey of the White Fang: Nature and Survival by Jack London

White Fang escapes Gray Beaver once but returns to the wild. However, he faces so much loneliness that he returns to his master, learns to work in a sled, and encourages his wild behavior. White Fang’s nature becomes so wild that when he encounters Lip-lip alone in the forest, he kills him.

Gray Beaver takes White Fang to Fort Yukon, where he trades animal skins and gets used to alcohol. One night, drunk and desperate, Gray Beaver sells White Fang to Beauty Smith, a monstrous man who turns White wolf into a fierce and victorious fighting dog. In the fighting arena, White Fang encounters a bulldog that nearly strangles him. Weedon Scott, a man who saves WhiteFang from being killed, adopts him.

Scott slowly makes White wolf more friendly, causing him to lose his distrust of humans and become attached to his new owner. When Scott is about to leave Yukon, White Fang escapes from the cabin where he is kept and runs to his side. This gesture convinces Scott to take White wolf to his family home in Sierra Vista, California. In the southern lands, Scott’s family and their shepherd dog, Collie, suspect WhiteFang’s wild behavior. However, White wolf becomes a calmer animal by learning human and societal laws. He learns not to hunt chickens and not to bristle against human touch or laughter.

White Fang proves to be a loving and loyal dog with a bark that alerts the Scott family when Weedon is injured in a riding accident. When Jim Hall, a convict seeking revenge, attempts to break into Scott’s home, White Fang again proves his loyalty and kills the intruder. Despite being severely injured, White wolf miraculously survives and regains strength to see the puppies Collie gives birth to. Surrounded by his puppies and the human family, White Fang becomes a beloved wolf and is hailed as the “Blessed Wolf.”