White Fang

Story

White Fang is the story of a young wolfdog: half wolf, half domestic dog. It starts before he is born, tracing the wolf pack of his parents as they stalk their prey. Once fed, the wolf pack scatters and White Fang’s mother must fend for herself and her cub when his father is killed.

Later, White Fang is separated from his mother. He encounters both kindness and brutality in his experiences with humans and ultimately, he learns from them.

Why we chose it

The story of a dog which has captured the imagination of generations of young readers.

Where it came from

Jack London was an American author. As a child, he devoured books, even signing up multiple family members to his local library so that he could borrow multiple books. However, as he grew up, he had a troubled life, including being in prison for 30 days. As a result, many of his writings deal with human violence and survival. White Fang is set in the harsh, frozen environment of Yukon, in northern Canada. London spent a year living there and drew inspiration from the experience when writing White Fang.

Where it went next

White Fang has been translated into many different languages – including Braille – and has been adapted many times since its publication. It has been made into a television series, a cartoon, and several films, including a recent Netflix animated film in 2018!

Associated stories

White Fang is a loose sequel – or sometimes described as a companion book – to Jack London’s earlier book The Call of the Wild. Where Call narrates a tame dog’s journey to become wild, this story is about the opposite process, as White Fang learns to trust and even love some humans.