From the beginning of the book you are introduced to the contrast of characters at hand. The feeble gentleman Humphrey Van Weydon, who is cruelly forced upon the voyage, and the devilish and somewhat divine captain Wolf Larsen. This combination of good and evil sets the stage for an amazing battle of wit and perseverance. But to understand the great battle between these two men, you have to understand the almost invincible nature of Captain Wolf Larsen. Wolf is a five foot ten inch, tan skinned brute. His height is not at all the most striking characteristic of the captain.
His amazing muscular build and strength rival that of an enlarged gorilla. In fact, the author repeatedly compares Wolf’s immense strength with that of a wild animal. The name London gives him is perfect to describe his nature. It is this godlike ability to kill anyone with his bare hands that keeps the crew in fear of him. There is a scene in the book where the crew attempted mutiny on the lone captain. The men jumped all over his back and from then on Wolf Larsen had seven strong men on top of him.
The forecastle was like an angry hive of bees aroused by some intruder. No man less than a giant could have accomplished what Wolf Larsen did next. Step by step, by the might of his arms, the whole pack of men striving to drag him back and down, he drew his body up from the floor until he stood upright. The captain then proceeded to make his way up the ladder thus freeing him from this group of murderous tyrants. The whole crew of the Ghost hated Wolf with a great passion, but no one could do anything because his strength and fighting ability were unmatched. The second aspect of Wolf Larsen that makes him so great is his mind. Larsen was born and bred on the sea.
The Essay on Dances With Wolves White Men
Dances with Wolves The movie Dances with Wolves was a real good movie and I enjoyed watching it. It showed how life was back in the time of the Civil War. The movie also showed how Indians lived and how they respect everything except the white men. I think you should keep on showing this movie to your other classes. When you showed this movie, all the kids in class paid attention to it and ...
Wolf never saw the inside of a schoolhouse. He taught himself everything he knew by reading the great works of American literature. Poetry and novels are the only thing that can take Wolf’s mind off the sea. Through his learning he developed a ‘live for yourself only’ theory on life. You could use such words as egocentric or arrogant to describe Wolf’s trust no one attitude. But it’s easy to see that he got that complete self-reliance from his childhood. Wolf didn’t have any parents that ever took care of him.
As soon as he was of a decent age (around 10) he was on the boats as a cabin boy making his living. He taught himself reading and writing. The only thing Wolf could be thankful for is the body he was given, everything else he got on his own. The opposite of his first-mate Mr. Van Weydon, who was brought up with nothing but money, and learned at the finest schools. Wolf Continuously mocks death. More so the death of others around him than his own, but it is clear he does not fear his own demise.
He lives his life around the theories of Charles Darwin. He believes that the strongest should survive and he is the strongest therefore nothing should stand in his way. Wolf’s thinks of himself as godly, where as the rest of his crew would compare him to no other than Lucifer himself. It becomes evident by the end of the novel that the only that is able to defeat Wolf is himself. London is never clear on what exactly kills Wolf Larsen, but it is deeply implied that a brain tumor slowing eats away at him taking away his senses one by one. ‘Good-bye, Lucifer, proud spirit,’ Maud whispered.
Those were the last words echoed as Wolf Larsen’s body was cast into the deep blue. The epic final chapter to a life matched in comparison by few. The life of The Sea Wolf..
