Research Article

Schopenhauer in Jack London’s The Sea-Wolf: A Comparative Analysis

Bowen HuStratford Hall, Vancouver, B.C. V5N 4E2, Canada.*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

As a notable work of American nautical fiction, The Sea-Wolf is a defining work of the novelist Jack London in his early career, paving the way for his future adventurous novels, including The Iron Heel, Martin Eden, and White Fang. This comparative study aims to inquire on Schopenhauerian philosophy’s affinities with London’s The Sea-Wolf by examining the antagonist, Wolf Larsen’s materialistic philosophy, and investigating Larsen as a Schopenhauerian genius and his controversial characterization as a Nietzschean Übermensch.

Keywords: Arthur Schopenhauer; Wolf Larsen; genius; superman; Jack London; Friedrich Nietzsche; The Sea-Wolf
Published: February 28, 2023
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2/2022538
Volume: CHR Vol.2
pp. 443-450
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