“You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”

Life and Times

Jack London lived during a time of major change, when industrialization and urbanization were becoming dominant. Jim Crow and "separate but equal" laws, Chinese exclusionary laws and Indian genocide put racial differences in the forefront of people's minds. With the wave of immigrants from Eastern, Central, and Southern Europe, some people grew anxious over labor competition and the health of the society.

At the same time, workers movements responded to unhealthy conditions, long hours, and low pay. Women sought the right to vote. Pacifists arose to condemn America's overthrow of Hawaii and colonization of the Philippines. Reformers attacked a variety of concerns, including lack of sanitation, prostitution, birth control, overcrowded housing, public health, and more. Socialism developed as a viable third party, providing support of reform causes, along with demands for public ownership of utilities and control of monopolies.

All was not so conflicted, of course. A genuine American literature, art, and architecture flourished. The public became better educated, and a middle-class emerged. For a passionate temperament such as Jack London's, there was much to react to, and he did.

Source: http://london.sonoma.edu/Teachers/usweb.html

“Jack London was the type of man to have commanded other men. [He has] eyes to inflame youth, inspire men, madden women.” -Frank Pease

“He just jumped into life with both feet in that courageous way of his, and he got romance and mystery and beauty out of it where other men could see only labor. That’s genius.” -Johnny Heinhold

“Jack looked like a young, ardent, hopeful fellow brimful of conviction. He instantly inspired me with his open comradeship…Whenever I saw him, he was always the center of a group; people flocked to his vital magnetism; everyone who came within its radius, loved him.” –Johannes Reimers

“His eyes were those of a dreamer, and there was almost a feminine wistfulness about him. Yet at the same time he gave the feeling of a terrific and unconquerable physical force.” -Arnold Genthe

“I never saw a man in all my life with more magnetism, beautiful magnetism. If a preacher could have the love in his make up, and the life, God, this whole world would be religious.” – Finn Frolich,

“I want to say that Jack London is one of the grittiest men it has been my good fortune to meet. He is just as heroic as any of the characters in his novels.” -Robert Dunn

“I think of him as part of the heroic youth and courage of the world.” –Edwin Markham

Source: theartofmanliness.com

ACTIVITY
CLASS TIMELINE
We are going to create a timeline for Jack London's life.

1. Read your life or historical event.
2. Work with your classmates to put yourself in chronological order.

Jack London Biography