Struggle In Jack London’s Short Stories From The Perspective Of Image Schema

Jack London (1876-1916), a celebrated American realistic writer, is one of the most remarkable literary representatives in American literature in the early 20th century. He has made great achievement in both long writings and short stories. However, much less attention is paid to short stories than his long writings. As a matter of fact, London was known for short stories at the beginning of the 20th century, and it is short stories that he gives full play to his narrative and descriptive capability. In his short stories the protagonists are often surrounded by dangerous situations. In order to survive they have to struggle hard in the situations, which is also a course of spiritual struggle. Thus struggle is one of the distinct themes in many of his short stories.This thesis centers on struggle theme and utilizes the Image Schema Theory of Poetics to elucidate how our cognitive characteristics uncover the three patterns of struggle, namely between man and nature, man and society, and man and himself. First, the thesis introduces London’s life story, his achievement in short stories, previous studies on his short stories abroad and home, and the basic concepts and forms of Image Schema Theory; then, it elaborates on the three patterns of struggle in 6 selected representative short stories, namely "To Build a Fire", "Love of Life", "The League of Old Men", "The Mexican", "The Unexpected", "The Law of Life", by applying 5 types of image schemas, including CONTAINER schema, PATH schema, UP-DOWN schema, CENTER-PERIPHERY schema and BALANCE schema. Furthermore, London’s attitude and standpoints are pointed out in each case of struggle:1) in the struggle between man and nature, CONTAINER schema reveals the opposition between civilized man and wild land; PATH schema demonstrates that the protagonists’experiences are not only a physical journey, but also a journey of spirit. London, on the one hand, believes that nature has such formidable power that man must obey its rules in order to survive. On the other hand, he admires the great courage and perseverance that man shows in the struggle; 2) in the struggle between man and society, UP-DOWN schema uncovers the polarization of social rights, which is an important reason for struggle; CENTER-PERIPHERY schema portrays a heathenish image of the disadvantaged races and groups in the eyes of the white men and upper society, as well as shows the hardship the former undergoes. Struggle turns out to be the only way to get through. London expresses his sympathy and care for the disadvantaged; 3) in the struggle between man and himself, BALANCE schema reveals two pairs of conflict in the wild land, namely the conflict between social law and survival, and the conflict between man’s instinct love of life and death as the natural law of life. The unbalance in the body and spirit of the protagonists leads to struggle in their mind; and PATH schema tells us that we humans often gain insight and grow to maturity in the struggle with ourselves. London believes that law is untouchable in wild land. Man can get balance between law and survival by his own belief. Besides, only a man accepts the truth that the law of life is death can he get peace in the mind when he is dying. Finally, a conclusion is made, which points out that the survival of human beings is a magnificent history of struggle, no matter where it is, in the wild, or in realistic society, or within mind. They survive through struggle and grow to maturity in struggle. Struggle is a way of existence.