White Fang

In Part 4, London explores the dynamics of animals within human society. The dogs compete with one another for favor from the humans, to whom they are all submissive and loyal. Hatred for the leader of the sled-team further unifies the group. Though the humans believe that giving more attention to their leader dog will inspire their other dogs to respect the leader, this is in fact a misconception because favoritism makes the dogs turn on one another. This dynamic emphasizes the primacy of the humans in the domesticated animals’ lives.

Another dynamic that complicates White Fang’s character development is the war between his instincts. As a wolfdog born in the wild, White Fang craves the freedom of the forest and his former life of hunting with his mother. In that setting, White Fang was the dominant predator and feared no one’s superiority. Now that he has become domesticated, he is reliant upon humans and submits himself to them. He appreciates the security that life with the humans provides, though seeking that security goes against his wild instincts. To survive in his new surroundings, White Fang must learn to enjoy being with the humans, which means he will always be fighting his wild instincts. This makes White Fang lean into his reputation as a solitary wolf. He doesn’t befriend the other dogs at the camp because he didn’t learn to be friendly to or reliant on fellow wolves in the wild.

White Fang does not understand the cooperative dynamic among the sled dogs and therefore grows more isolated as his domesticity develops. When Kiche is taken away, the last emotional tie White Fang has to another animal disappears. White Fang’s isolation from his fellow animals turns him towards Grey Beaver, his only ally. This connection to the humans, born from his isolation and loneliness, is emphasized when White Fang returns to the humans after escaping into the wild. London suggests that once an animal begins the process of domestication, it is more difficult to make a full return to the wild.

Relentless conflict defines White Fang’s life. There is little respite to his struggles because every day he must survive one threat or another. In Part 3, the wild was his antagonist. In Part 4, humans and fellow animals present a consistent threat. London writes about this relentless conflict to emphasize White Fang’s indomitable spirit. In these chapters, White Fang is characterized as adaptable, resilient, and strong. London uses terms such as “clay” and “molded” for both humans and animals. The metaphor of molded clay suggests that once an object is formed by external pressures, it can’t undo that formation. This implies that White Fang’s adaptability is not an unlearning of his past instincts. Rather, it explains why White Fang is torn between different instincts: White Fang can learn new ways of being, but he can’t unlearn his former ways of being. This is true of humans too. Humans can adapt and change at different stages of their lives, but that doesn’t mean they forget their early formative experiences.

When White Fang meets white men for the first time, London’s narrative invokes the white supremacy of his era (the 19th and early 20th centuries). White Fang believes the white men are superior to the Indigenous men upon first sight, without proof or reason. London implies that because a wolf can sense the superiority of the white men over the Indigenous men, white supremacy is natural and instinctive, not socially constructed. But White Fang’s perception of the white man as superior is challenged by Beauty. Beauty’s name is ironic because he is not physically beautiful, nor is he kind. Beauty represents men’s cruelty. He is abusive towards White Fang because he simply doesn’t value White Fang as a sentient being. To Beauty, White Fang is nothing but an object he can use for his own financial gain. He takes advantage of White Fang’s wildness and strength and fights him against other dogs for his own pleasure.

White Fang is in consistent danger during these dog fights, and even if he survives and wins, these fights chip away at his soul. For Beauty, White Fang has no soul. London includes Beauty in the narrative to highlight the depths of darkness to which men can descend, especially in a lawless space like the Yukon Territory, and how that cruelty affects a beautiful and strong animal like White Fang. Beauty becomes the primary antagonist of the novel, worse even then famines and the brutal cold of the Yukon. Beauty represents the ways humans use and abuse animals for their own benefit. Though humans can be animals’ greatest friend, they can also be their greatest enemy.

The antithesis of Beauty is Scott. In a plot twist, Scott rescues White Fang from dog fighting. Scott values animal life and courageously defends the dogs against a group of violent men. Scott presents a turning point for White Fang’s character development because he symbolizes the possibility of redemption. Scott gives White Fang something no one ever has—kindness. While Grey Beaver did appreciate White Fang, Scott provides White Fang with more love than Grey Beaver did because Grey Beaver needed White Fang to be a working dog. Scott wants White Fang as a pet, and his goal is to teach White Fang gentleness. Here again, White Fang’s instincts battle one another. He is accustomed to violence and brutality and must now learn how to accept love. Through Scott’s dedication and care, love comes more naturally to White Fang than White Fang expected; This expresses London’s message that love between living species is innate. White Fang has always been capable of giving and receiving love, he was just never given the opportunity.