Phase 2 1. What cultural or universal symbols can you discover in names, objects, places, situations, or in a work?
Some cultural names in the book white fang are Mia Tuk, which actually means white fang, and Kloo-kooch. These names come from the tribe near Fort McGurry that took in white fang for a work dog. Most of each name has a meaning to it like Mia Tuk. The Indians believed to have a name that meant something. The name Kiche is also a name from the Indian tribe that means sky spirit. Another cultural symbol in the book is the sleds and sled dogs that they use. Having the sleds and sled dogs is the way people got from town to town in the tribe. The white people also took this in from Alaska who used both the sled and the dogs. The last cultural symbol in the book was when the men in the town had fighting dogs. Each man that participated in the dog fighting tried to have the meanest dog around. One man ended up with white fang and had the meanest dog in town for a while. 2. What enables you to identify the story as a parable or fable? What lesson or moral is either stated or implicit?
The story white fang is a parable and a historical fiction that has to do with the gold rush. The moral to this story is an implicit moral that teaches us how to adapt to each situation we are in. For each situation that white fang was in he had to adapt to where he was. If he was in the wild he had to find his food, or if he was a fighting dog he had to fight to survive. It also had another implicit moral that teaches us how be loyal and loving to our friends. Once white fang realized that Weedon Scott was his friend instead or an enemy he because loyal and loving to him. 3. How clearly does the author point you toward an allegorical reading?
Jack London does a good job with the allegorical reading with white fang. He uses white fangs emotions to show human behavior. When white fang has to fight the dogs he is showing anger. This is an example of when humans get angry and want to argue or fight. He also shows love through White Fang when Weedon Scott takes him in. Scott helps him and treats to his wounds. By doing this White Fang realizes that Scott isn’t going to hurt him, so he loves and protects Weedon Scott. 4. How consistent is the allegorical application?