Jack London How old was he when he died?

Family Background Information Born in San Francisco Father William Chaney: astrologer Mother Flora Wellman: “cold” Step-father John London: poor farmer Helped by step-sister and servant “Aunt Jenny” Went to work at 10 years old Quit school at 15 to work full-time in factory (salmon cannery) Used books to escape life

Life of Adventure Several odd jobs—many of them at sea Oyster pirate Fish patrol Seaman on whaling schooner Returned to high school at 19—passed entrance exam to U of Berkley One semester Lacked finances

Klondike Gold Rush Jack London in the Kondike Joined the gold rush to help support his mom after John London died Returned home because of illness (scurvy) Ideas for writing gained here Jack London in the Kondike Joined the gold rush to help support his mom after John London died Returned home because of illness (scurvy) Ideas for writing gained here

Political Ideas Arrested for vagrancy in 1894-one month in jail Fought for poor—Socialist Shared wealth—never quit working; worried about money

Finally earned money writing Published over 50 novels; letter writer; speaker Call of the Wild/The Sea Wolf “Great Earthquake and Fire” (San Francisco) written for Collier’s magazine paid 25 cents/word-2500 word article

Adult/Family Life

Married Bessie May Madden-April 7, 1900 Later divorced (1905)—different interests

Children Joan—born January 15,1901 Bess—born October 20,1902 Third child died at birth

Married (2 nd time) Charmain Kitterage-November 19, 1905 Adventures at sea together Built large ranch in California

Jack London’s Admonition Write what you see!

Jack London’s Style Helps reader become involved because he experienced what he wrote about Used vivid language Adverbs Adjectives Unusual word order Repetition Stories are based on experiences-reality based Life and death situations

Primary Source Eyewitness Accounts—autobiography Diaries, letters, news accounts, photos, art

Secondary Source Written by someone with no direct experience with events of person’s life Using information from other sources

Famous Books from Jack London Websites of Jack London Jack London on line collection

Miscellaneous The Story of an Eyewitness Today in Literature Klondike Rush Jack London Introduction King of Mazy May Power Point Mazy May The Call of the Wild

Brainstorm (Before Reading) Is “manliness” based on strength and bravery? What is a “Gold Rush”? What are the differences between the ways adults behave and the ways teenagers behave? In this story a young boy does the right thing because he has a good heart. Think about a time when you performed a good deed with no thought of reward. What motivated you? How did you feel? Please answer these questions on the back of your work packet. Thank you!

After reading: In what ways do the events in the story cause a teenager to act like an adult? What are three qualities in Walt that help him defeat the stampeder’s? How would you describe living in the setting of the story?

Story of an Eyewitness- Jack London Brainstorm: Think/pair/share Have you ever been an eyewitness to a memorable event, such as an accident, a fire, a flood? How did you feel at the time? Did everything happen too fast for you to notice the details, or did every detail become locked in your memory?

Quiz—”The Story of an Eyewitness” 1. Why was it so difficult to control the fires that broke out after the earthquake? A. The earth kept moving B. Everyone was too scared to stay and fight the fires C. There was smoke everywhere D. There was no water, and the roads were blocked.

2. What case the greatest damage to the city of San Francisco? A. Thieves B. Tremors C. Fires D. Floods

3. Buildings were dynamited mainly to… A. stop the spread of fire. B. Clear the streets for trucks. C. Prevent them from falling. D. Stop thieves from entering.

4. Why was the government setting up tents and serving meals in Union Square just four and a half hours before it caught fire? A. No one could go any farther without food. B. No one thought the fires would spread so quickly. C. Everyone wanted to help as much as possible before the fire came. D. There was nowhere else to go.

5.Jack London was surprised that most people reacted to the earthquake with such A. courtesy. B. yelling C. meanness D. Hysteria.

6. The wind racing into the city on all sides was caused primarily by the… A. earth’s movements. B. dynamite explosions set off by firefighters. C. vacuum created by the fire. D. Movements of the collapsing buildings

7. The main job of the soldiers in the city was to A. protect the banks B. Arrest criminals C. prevent looting D. Keep people moving

8. At the end of the article, London predicts that the A. Fires will return. B. City will be rebuilt. C. People will starve D. Refugees will riot.

9. A dear book is a book that is.. A. Old. B. Tattered. C. Treasured.

10. Someone near a conflagration would feel its A. Mood B. Heat C. Tremors

11. Someone who is compelled to act feels A. Forced. B. Watched. C. Bold.

12. A dog would be a menace if it likes to A. Bark. B. Play. C. Bite.

13. Refugees are people who A. Flee from their homes. B. Go on vacation. C. Fight fires

14. Why was Jack London called on to report on the San Francisco fire? 15. What is the difference between a news story and a feature story? “The Story of an Eyewitness” was an example of which?