Abstract

Love of Life, a short story written by Jack London, an American novelist, demonstrates to us Jack London’s life values by telling the story of the hero in the harsh environment fighting against coldness, hunger, hurt, wild animals and even himself and ultimately getting the victory. This paper aims to analyze the influential factors of London's values on life and how his personality and life values are represented in his novel. In Love of Life, through the experience of the protagonist, Jack London reflects his life values---having firm conviction in life, learning to abandon, and loving life.

Key words: Jack London, life values, Love of Life

摘 要

  《热爱生命》是美国小说家杰克•伦敦著名的短篇小说, 通过描写主人公在恶劣环境之中，与寒冷、饥饿、伤病、野兽乃至自我奋力抗争，最终摆脱了死亡的威胁，赢得最后的胜利，展现了杰克•伦敦的生命观。本文旨在分析影响杰克•伦敦生命观形成的因素，及其他的人格和生命观如何在作品中体现。在热爱生命这部小说中，杰克•伦敦通过描述小说主人公的经历，体现了他信念坚定，取舍理性，热爱生命的生命观。

关键词：杰克•伦敦；生命观；《热爱生命》

1. Introduction
Jack London (1876-1916) was one of the greatest realistic and naturalistic novelists. In his works, by using simple but vigorous words he shows an exotic world full of spirit of adventure where man and nature, and other animals interrelate and confront each other. Jack London’s works often reflect man’s struggle with nature under adverse conditions and criticize the capitalist society. In his novel there are brutal fight, test of survival, and pursuit of life in the extremely harsh environment of the Northland. He often puts the figures under the situation of cruelty and a matter of life and death, in order to expose the most profound characteristics of humanity. London praises the noble human quality of courage, determination and love. The “grim reality” of his works often gives readers the spiritual shock. Jack London’s representative works are: The Call of Wild (1903), The Sea-Wolf (1904), White Fang (1906) and Martin Eden (1909). American biographical novel writer Irving Stone commended London as “The Father of American Proletarian Literature” in Sailor on Horseback (1938).