READERS GUIDE

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. Wolf Larsen is arguably Jack London’s most memorable human character. Discuss your reaction to him.

2. Carl Sandburg contends that Wolf Larsen represents "The System Incarnate," ruthlessly discarding anything in the way of his own agenda. Do you agree or disagree with this assessment? Why?

3. Humphrey Van Weyden and Maud Brewster and their civilized, almost spiritual mores stand in brutal contrast to the tyrannical Larsen, providing a dichotomy that persists throughout the novel. In light of this moral conflict London explores, what do you make of the book’s closing sections?

4. Many critics have discussed London’s socialist leanings. How do you think this influence informs the novel, if at all?

5. What do you think is the metaphorical significance of London’s depicting most of the story aboard a ship?

6. Discuss Maud Brewster’s role in the book. What is her significance to Van Weyden and to Larsen?

7. Did you think Larsen’s morals were inherent or learned? Why?