Jack London, born on January 12, 1876 into a relatively impoverished family, often draws from his own experiences to write stories. In June of 1894, London encounters intellectual, educated hobos who introduce him to the concept of socialism. London goes on to become a devout socialist who incorporates many of his ideas into his stories. In The Sea Wolf, London shows his disdain for Nietzsche's concept of a superman through the character of Wolf Larsen. Throughout the book, Jack London displays the traits necessary for survival aboard the Ghost. In addition, he also makes his viewpoint clear about the traits he opposes. While some may see the story as a simple adventure and a battle between good and evil, London claims that "the story was an argument against a rapacious individualism, and was one of his most widely misunderstood books." (Geismar 2) Besides opposing individualism, London also makes it clear that he opposes cowardice through his portrayal of Thomas Mugridge. As the story goes on, it becomes evident that the trait that best equips characters for survival in The Sea Wolf is clearly not cowardice, which only fits characters for survival as something less than men; nor is it selfish individualism, which causes one to become isolated from human relations. The trait that allows characters to survive revolves around adaptability, which allows one to learn from his or her circumstances and overcome them.
Cowardice lowers one's chances of survival on the Ghost. On the ship, society revolves around an "eat or be eaten" philosophy. In order to survive, one must learn that he must stand up for himself because no one else will do it for him. Unfortunately for Humphrey Van Weyden, he is unused to having to do things by himself; he comes from a world where everything is done for him. After his very first day, he says, "Under ordinary circumstances, after all that I had undergone, I should have been fit for a bed and a trained nurse" (London 30). Initially, Van Weyden does not have the courage to start doing things for himself. As the book progresses, however, he begins to develop the strength to fight back against his oppressors. The first instance of this comes after Van Weyden realizes that Thomas Mugridge, the greasy cook, has taken the money from his coat pocket. "Humphrey must first 'escape' his effeminacy; and a step in the right direction is his realization that Larsen will not help him recover the stolen money: 'Whatever was to be done I must do for myself'" (Baskett 11). Van Weyden, though initially weak, realizes that he has to do things for himself. He shows his progression again in his encounter with his master Mugridge, in which Mugridge attempts to scare Van Weyden into submission by sharpening his dirk and pretending he is going to kill him. In response, Van Weyden begins sharpening his own knife, and Mugridge, afraid for his life, retreats. The day after this encounter, when Mugridge offers him a handshake, Van Weyden refuses, saying, "Coward that I might be, I was less a coward than he. It was a distinct victory I had gained, and I refused to forego any of it by shaking his destable hand" (London 71).
After Van Weyden's victory, it becomes clear that he is the new boss and Mugridge the new servant. Later, Van Weyden comments, "Thomas Mugridge is cur-like in his subjection to me, while I go about in secret dread of him. His is the courage of fear,–a strange thing I know well of myself,–and at any moment it may master the fear an impel him to the taking of my life" (London 79). Mugridge is now forced to live in submission to Van Weyden because he is afraid of him. "The character best equipped for survival in The Sea Wolf is clearly not the greasy cook Thomas Mugridge, whose cowardice and meanness fit him for survival only as something less than a man" (Labor 95).
In addition to cowardice, selfish individualism causes a person to become isolated, lowering his chances of survival. This is especially true in the case of Wolf Larsen, whose self-centered view of life ensures that he has no friends. "Larsen is a highly intelligent, utterly selfish man who believes that Darwinian selection is the most important principle of human existence and who subscribes to the concept of the superman as described by the philosopher Nietzsche" (Bloom 2). In Larsen's eyes, "One man cannot wrong another man, He can only wrong himself. As I see it, I do wrong always when I consider the interests of others" (London 63). Larsen believes that each man should act only according to his own best interest and to not do so is to sin. As a result of his belief, he alienates his crew on several occasions and becomes, as his name might suggest, a "lone wolf."
"Larsen is sensitive, intelligent, domineering, arrogant, uninhibited, actively rebellious against conventional social mores, and—above all—alone. He rules alone, he suffers alone" (Labor 95). By only acting in his own interests, Larsen basically forces himself to be alone. His actions show the flaw in Nietzsche's idea of a superman–though one may possess incredible qualities like strength and intelligence, without people to work alongside you, those qualities are useless. Van Weyden describes Larsen's lone wolf tendencies, saying, "[Larsen] is very lonely. There is no congeniality between him and the rest of the men aboard ship. His tremendous virility and mental strength wall him apart" (London 57). The tension between Larsen and his men comes to fruition when the men, led by Leach and Johnson, attempt a mutiny. Though the attempt fails, it serves as an example of the men's hatred for Larsen.
Not only do the men aboard the Ghost hate Larsen, but because of his lack of regard for anyone's life but his own, they also fear him. This becomes clear from the first moment that Van Weyden is on the ship, when Larsen hurls a string of profanities at his dead first mate's body while his men watch in shock. Larsen rules by instilling fear in his men, and he instills this fear through his willingness to inflict pain on others. He believes that no one's life matters, and says so publicly. He says, ""Life? Bah! It has no value. Of cheap things it is the cheapest" (London 52). His disregard for life is on display when he allows Johnson and Leach to die. After the mutiny attempt, Johnson and Leach seize an opportunity to escape. They take a boat and leave in the night. Unfortunately for them, they do not have the supplies to sustain themselves. The Ghost catches up to them, but Larsen refuses to let them aboard the boat. Johnson and Leach are left behind in the sea to die. Another example of Larsen's heartlessness is his fishing attempt with Mugridge as bait. Frustrated that he is being ignored by Maud Brewster, Larsen takes out his anger on poor Mugridge. After being tied to a rope, Mugridge is thrown into the sea, at the mercy of the sharks. Larsen eventually pulls him in, but not before Mugridge loses a foot.
As a result of his actions, Larsen has no friends aboard the Ghost. Van Weyden notices this and says, "The loneliness of the man is slowly being borne in upon me. There is not a man aboard but hates or fears him, nor is there a man whom he does not despise" (London 72). Larsen stands as an example of the flaws of Nietzsche's superman philosophy. "A hint of what London believed might have been absent in the superman philosophy is in another letter in which London writes, 'Please read my Sea-Wolf and my Martin Eden–both novels being indictments of the superman philosophy of Nietzsche, and both novels showing that where love does not reside, resides only death'" (Link 152).
To survive on the Ghost, however, it is clear that adaptability is required. The clearest example of this is Van Weyden's change from the start of the novel to the end. A literary critic, Van Weyden is totally unprepared to be thrown into a completely new environment. "He discovers quickly that the conventions of society, the rules that protect the weak and strong alike, are irrelevant in this new environment: he must survive by countering tooth with claw" (Labor 97). What Van Weyden sees as right is no longer relevant; he now has to live by Wolf Larsen's rules. When he first arrives on the ship, he is totally thrown off by both Larsen's lack of regard for human life and his cruel personality. As time goes on, he is forced to adapt to these circumstances and overcome them.
Coming from a society where most things are done for him, Van Weyden has a hard time learning to do manual labor. Even after he sustains a serious knee injury, he is still forced to complete all his tasks. In an attempt to convince Larsen to let him off the ship, Van Weyden tells him that he has earned a large amount of money and that he is willing to pay him. In response, Larsen says, "Who earned it? Eh? I thought so. Your father. You stand on dead men's legs. You've never had any of your own. You couldn't walk alone between two sunrises and hustle the meat for your belly for three days" (London 19). As Larsen says, Van Weyden is unable to fend for himself. He does not have the backbone that comes as a result of being forced to work. Gradually, throughout the book, as he becomes more accustomed to working, he begins to take more charge. This first comes in his encounter with Mugridge, where he becomes the new boss. As the story progresses, Van Weyden continues to move up in status until he eventually becomes the new first mate. "Van Weyden starts at the bottom – poles apart from Larsen – and, as he gains in strength and toughness, he moves steadily upward and nearer his demoniacal antagonist" (Labor 96).
The change that Van Weyden has undergone becomes clear the moment that Maud Brewster comes aboard the Ghost. Once she enters the story, Van Weyden becomes her protector and comforter. Not only this, but his love for her gives him new desire and drive to escape from Wolf Larsen. "What of my new-found love," says Van Weyden, "I was a giant. I feared nothing. I would work my will through it all, in spite of Wolf Larsen and of my own thirty-five bookish years. All would be well. I would make it well" (London 185). His fears, of death and of Wolf Larsen, are washed away by his new love for Maud Brewster and his desire to protect her. The new Van Weyden contrasts sharply with the old Van Weyden, who refused to take charge and who was afraid of everything. "And yet, I aver it, and I aver it again, I was unafraid. The death which Wolf Larsen and even Thomas Mugridge had made me fear, I no longer feared. The coming of Maud Brewster into my life seemed to have transformed me" (London 203).
The first evidence of Van Weyden's change is his daring move to escape the Ghost with Brewster while Larsen is bedridden with a strange illness. To escape, Van Weyden would have to not only pilot the ship by himself, but he would have to do it for 600 miles with Wolf Larsen almost certainly in pursuit. Even if they somehow made it to the nearest land, Japan, they would be stranded in a foreign country with no money and little provisions. All in all, the odds seem stacked heavily against the duo. However, Van Weyden displays no fear, and takes charge in gathering supplies for the journey. The Van Weyden from the start of the story most likely would have done nothing, and would have waited for an opportunity to thrust itself upon him. As a result of his bold actions, he and Brewster manage to make it to relative safety of Endeavor Island.
The second example of Van Weyden's change is a more subtle one that comes when Brewster tells him that she is afraid of the seals. Van Weyden reassures her by wrapping his arm around her, and in that moment he realizes the change that he has undergone: "I shall never forget, in that moment, how instantly conscious I became of my manhood. The primitive deeps of my nature stirred. I felt myself masculine, the protector of the weak, the fighting male" (London 221). Van Weyden realizes that he has finally escaped from his feminine qualities that plagued him at the start of the story.
Throughout The Sea Wolf, it becomes increasingly clear that cowardice lowers one's chances of survival on the Ghost. Due to the harshness of the people on the ship, if one does not have the courage to stand up for himself, he will be forced to live in submission and fear. This is true in the case of Thomas Mugridge, who lives as a servant because he does not stand up to Van Weyden. Furthermore, selfish individualism also lowers one's chances of survival by causing him to become isolated. Wolf Larsen is an example of this; because of his selfish mindset, he has no friends and is alone. To survive on the Ghost, the most important trait is adaptability, which allows a person to overcome their circumstances. The best example of adaptability in The Sea Wolf is Van Weyden. Initially, Van Weyden is totally unprepared for the harsh atmosphere on the Ghost. As the story progresses, he becomes stronger and more courageous and eventually makes a daring escape off the ship. By learning from his situation and growing from it, he is able to be successful in the end. The consequences of having these traits still apply today. Acting in a cowardly manner and not taking initiative causes one to live life in fear like Mugridge. To accomplish anything, one must learn to take action and do things for himself. Being selfish and only thinking about oneself's interests causes one to come off as abrasive and rude. As the saying goes, "No man is an island entire of itself." The one who acts only in his own interest will not have any friends, like Wolf Larsen. In contrast, Van Weyden demonstrates that adaptability is necessary to overcome life's circumstances. Giving up when difficult times come is never the solution. Though trials in life are inevitable, adapting and growing from them is better than being defeated.