Abstract:Jack London has a high reputation in literary world. He was one of the famous representatives of Naturalism and Realism in the late 19th century and early 20th century in America, and he was influenced by Darwin and Spencer. Nature is one of the themes that he wrote about. The Call of the Wild, published in 1903, is the most famous one among Jack London’s masterpieces. Since more and more people are regarding environment protection important nowadays, it is worthy of studying this novel from the ecocriticism perspective.

This thesis attempts to interpret the novel from the aspect of ecocriticism. It is divided into five parts. Chapter one is an introduction to Jack London and his novel The Call of the Wild. Chapter two intends to present the definition and development of ecocriticism. Chapter three is a detailed analysis of the ecological ideas embodied in the novel, mainly from the aspects of admiration for nature, glorification of Buck’s loyalty and the criticism of anthropocentrism. Chapter four illustrates London’s ideal approaches to balance the relationship between human and nature. The last chapter is the conclusion, presenting the purpose of writing this thesis—to appeal people to protect nature.

Keywords: Jack London  The Call of the Wild  ecocriticism  anthropocentrism

Contents

Abstract

摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 An Introduction to Jack London-1

1.2 An Introduction to The Call of the Wild-1

Chapter Two Ecocriticism-3

2.1 Definition of Ecocriticism-3

2.2 Development of Ecocriticism-3

Chapter Three Ecological Concepts in The Call of the Wild-5

3.1 Admiration for Nature-5

3.2 Glorification of Buck’s Loyalty-5

3.3 Criticism on Anthropocentrism-6

3.3.1 Abuse of Dogs-6

3.3.2 Plunder of Nature-8

Chapter Four London’s Ideal Thoughts to Balance Ecosystem-9

4.1 Creating a Harmonious Relationship between Human and Nature-9

4.2 The Final Destination: Returning to Nature-10

Chapter Five Conclusion-12

References-13