Conflict Between Animal Nature And Human Nature An Ethical Literary Criticism Of Jack London's The Sea Wolf

American realistic writer Jack London(1876-1916)creates lots of remarkable works in his short life.The Sea Wolf(1904)is London's most representative novel.There are many studies on The Sea Wolf,however,studies of the ethical literary criticism are few.There are abundant ethical factors in the novel.By the detailed descriptions of Wolf Larsen's immoral behaviors,Jack London expresses his criticism on animal nature and approval for human nature.From the perspective of ethical literary criticism,the author of the thesis works chiefly on its three important terms: ethical taboo,ethical confusion and ethical choice.The thesis explains these terms by analyzing three groups of relationships: the man to man relationship,the relationship between individual and community,the man's relationship with himself.In the ethical conflict between animal nature and human nature,Wolf Larsen lost his ethical identity and made a wrong ethical choice.He violated the ethical taboo,caused the ethical confusion and spoilt his life.On the contrary,Humphrey recognized his ethical identity clearly and considered deeply before making the ethical choice.His obedience to ethical taboo and persistence in ethical choice redeemed himself.By criticizing Wolf Larsen's ethical value,Jack London emphasizes that only by standing firm on human nature,can we redeem ourselves from the ethical crisis.There are four chapters in the thesis.Chapter one introduces Jack London and The Sea Wolf,the general literature review,the theoretical framework and the research significance.Chapter two analyzes the ethical taboo from the group of the man to man relationship.Wolf Larsen's blasphemy to the dead mate,Wolf Larsen's fratricidal battle with Death Larsen,Wolf Larsen's rape to Maud,Wolf Larsen's revenge on Leach and Johnson.They show how Wolf Larsen violates the ethical taboos due to his loss of ethical identities.Chapter three studies the ethical confusion from the group of the relationship between individual and community.Wolf Larsen's dominance to the crew and the crew's betrayal to him.Wolf Larsen's conquest to the sea and the sea'spunishment to him.The ethical confusions result from the accumulation of ethical taboos and individual should live with the community harmoniously.Chapter four aims at the ethical choice from the group of the man's relationship with himself.The Sphinx factor reveals Wolf Larsen's ethical value.The destruction of Wolf Larsen and the redemption of Humphrey are the results of the ethical choice.In the conclusion,the author of the thesis makes a summary of Jack London's ethical value in The Sea Wolf,stressing London's praise for the beauty of human nature.