StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Jack London Love of Life - Admission/Application Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The short story “Love of Life,” by Jack London, is an excellent story that takes the reader on a journey of the reality of human psyche, and the motivation behind the human behavior. Through the story of a man who gets separated from his fellow traveler and gets lost in a…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.9% of users find it useful
Jack London Love of Life
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Jack London Love of Life"

Response to “Love of Life” The short story “Love of Life,” by Jack London, is an excellent story that takes the reader on a journey of the reality ofhuman psyche, and the motivation behind the human behavior. Through the story of a man who gets separated from his fellow traveler and gets lost in a forest, the author has explored the untamed and hidden aspects of human mind and behavior. The story succeeds in making the reader think deeply about the ‘real’ nature of human being. It makes the reader wonder if human beings are really as civilized as they think they are, or is there a possibility of them becoming like animals if the circumstances change.

The story, in fact, makes the reader to take a second look at human motivation, and his own behavior pattern.The story exposes the deeper aspects of human psyche in an interesting way. Through the main character of the story, the author introduces the wild and the uncivilized aspects of human being. The reader realizes that survival in the world lies at the root of every action that human being takes. It is the survival instinct that drives the human behavior. Initially, the main character is shown missing his friend named Bill, and thinking that he will not be able to carry on without him.

Later, as he tries to survive in the forest, he not only forgets his friend, but also loses the desire to achieve the goal for which he had taken up the journey in the first place. In fact, later he is shown feeling happy and victorious when he encounters the bones and flesh of human being and thinking that it might be his friend’s. This makes the reader feel that nothing is permanent in this world. Human being is extremely selfish and can take other human being’s life if it is necessary for his own survival.

The story makes the reader feel that compared to his own survival, nothing is important in this world for a human being. The other interesting aspect that has been explored in the story is the tendency of paranoia. The main character’s act of counting the matchsticks again and again exposes the weakness of human mind. He is also shown looking for the bullets in his rifle even though he knows that there are none. Human being can function well and in healthy way only when he is certain about his life.

The story is a revelation of the fact that insecurity and uncertainty can drive a person into madness. When nature seems to be against him, then man stops trusting even his own judgments and skills. This also makes the reader to reflect on human motivation in civilized world. The story makes the reader realize that as uncertainty makes a man feel insecure and unstable in his mind, he always strives for security and safety. Hence, it is not surprising that very few people in this world are ready to take risks in their lives.

Usually, people like security in their job, relationship, social conditions etc. The story helps the reader to get a deep insight into the human behavior through the behavior of the character. Moreover, in an interesting way, the short story “Love of Life,” also explores the different fears that influence the human behavior. For example, when the main character in the story is saved, he is shown developing a habit of stacking biscuits in his room with the fear of starvation. His baseless fear that all the food on the ship will finish and he will die of starvation makes him to stuff his room with food.

This aspect of the story throws a light on the human trait of greed and fear. After reading the story, one cannot help but think that maybe the root of obesity in human beings is the result of the fear. Maybe, the fear of starving makes them to accumulate food in their body. The story introduces the reader to the animal instincts in human beings. As it progresses, the story peels off the layers of ‘civilized’ human being one by one, and exposes the layers of animal nature that are hidden inside him.

In a sense, the story makes the reader to look deep inside his own self and think again about his own desires, dreams, career goals etc. It makes him to think whether they are really intense desires or just another way of finding a certainty and security in life. The story makes one think “Will I continue doing what I am doing if it makes me lose the security and certainty in life?” Most probably, the answer will be “No.” The story really makes reader realize how much he loves his own life and to what extent he can go to survive.

Hence, it will not be wrong to say that the short story “Love for life” shatters the belief of human being that he is different from animals, and makes him to understand that deep inside, he is an animal.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Jack London Love of Life Admission/Application Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/english/1622631-jack-london-love-of-life
(Jack London Love of Life Admission/Application Essay)
https://studentshare.org/english/1622631-jack-london-love-of-life.
“Jack London Love of Life Admission/Application Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/english/1622631-jack-london-love-of-life.
  • Cited: 2 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Jack London Love of Life

Understanding of Nature in To Build a Fire by Jack London

An author of this essay would assess the perception of the surrounding nature as pictured in the story "To Build a Fire" written by jack london.... hellip; “To build a fire” is a story by jack london set in the open-air.... On the other hand, Kennedy and Gioia point out that if the adventurer had been accompanied by a friend instead of a pet, the two would have shared their different points of view and settled on the best move to save the man's life in the face of adversity (116)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Woody Allens Vision of Modern City Life

This can be shown to be true by… g an examination of his life, his work and his own words which show that his view of the city is positive to say the least and often glorifies the idea of being in the city. Of course being born in a city will certainly help in creating the viewpoint which has been taken by He was born and raised in New York and has a Jewish background which is often displayed by many of his heroes in films.... With this set of close connections to the city his films and words can be examined to show his vision of modern city life....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Jhon Barleycorn by Jack London

Some strange wisdom, which is “beyond life's wisdom” starts flowing as the rum goes in the body.... People consider jack's book his autobiography.... He wrote it in 1912 after his trip to New York City.... He was an alcoholic and one time he shaved his head while under the influence (Stasz, n....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Main Characters Of Incendiary

Petra represents the finer things in life that are present in London for Petal's enjoyment.... Petal became the center around, which the two journalists' lives revolved, as they went through the different catastrophes that beset london after the terrorist attack.... The letters that Petal writes to Osama depict the lives of those who live in london; an indomitable will and spirit to live and survive the “terror and poverty” (Cleave 112)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Psychology: A Person-Centred Counselling Case

assessed Kelly as needing to fulfil a role in life and how she had to be excellent at this and being good enough was not enough for her and I had the feeling that she possibly had a driver of Be Perfect as she appeared to want to be the perfect parent and wife and the death of her son had rocked that because, in her world, she had been unable to keep him safe....
14 Pages (3500 words) Coursework

Exegetical Paper on Biblical Love and Peace

This report "Exegetical Paper on Biblical Love and Peace" discusses the inherent meaning of life for which man struggles tirelessly to achieve....     Therefore, leaving in peace with others, not only with the groups that an individual is attributed to, forms the ultimate meaning of life, for which man can derive ultimate satisfaction.... evertheless, building the meaning of life is a process that entails the pursuit of the built-in purpose, aim, and objective of life3....
9 Pages (2250 words) Report

The Destabilization of Homosexuality and Heterosexuality in Film

This essay "The Destabilization of Homosexuality and Heterosexuality in Film" focuses on the new queer cinema that is one of the measures to ensure that homonormativity wasn't viewed as something that was out of this world.... It had the view that it was a matter of choice.... hellip; Sex hierarchies that have existed among us and have done nothing better than gradate sexual practices into what is good or bad sex morally should be terminated....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Love in Worths and the Twelfth-Night Sonnets

This way, more and more ideas on human life and various aspects of the society were put into print.... … love in wroth's and the twelfth night sonnetsThe origin of English renaissance is traced back to the time of Elizabeth's reign in England.... The main practices at that time were cultural based on the lifestyle of the people at that period of monarch love in wroth's and the twelfth night sonnetsThe origin of English renaissance is traced back to the time of Elizabeth's reign in England....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us