Penguin Readers Factsheets
level
E
T e a c h e r’s n o t e s
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White Fang
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by Jack London
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ELEMENTARY
S U M M A R Y
hite Fang is a heart-warming story of how a wild
animal, part wolf and part dog, comes to love and
live happily with a human family. The story is set in
Canada in the 1890s – around the time of the Gold Rush
in the Klondike. First, after being found, White Fang lives
with Indians on the Mackenzie River. There, he learns to
look after himself and to fight hard. Then he is seen and
bought by a cruel man, Beauty Smith, who wants to use
him for dog fights.
W
At one of these fights, White Fang, the great fighter,
suddenly finds that he is the loser. He is saved from death
by a man with a different way of treating animals. Weedon
Scott uses kindness and reward, rather than the stick, and
the ‘wolf’ becomes devoted to him. When Scott has to
leave the Klondike for California in the south, White Fang
is determined to go with him. In the ‘Southland’, White
Fang learns a new way of life and even saves his new
family from some nasty situations. He finds happiness,
too, when his own cubs are born.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jack London’s real name was John Griffith Chaney. He
was born in 1876 in San Francisco, the illegitimate son of
an astrologer and a spiritualist. He had socialist opinions
and belonged to a group of writers called ‘The
Muckrakers’, who wanted to write about the corruption
and poverty of the society around them. Many of his
books are about the struggles of men and animals against
hardships, and the realities of life and nature. His style
was vivid and exciting. He became an extremely popular
writer in the early years of the twentieth century and
remains a great favourite today, especially with The Call of
the Wild and White Fang, both much loved by children. He
wrote more than 50 books between 1900 and 1915.
London led a colourful life and it is said that he often
used his own experiences in his novels, though much of
the biographical information about him is uncertain. In
1893 he worked on a ship that hunted seals, and from
1894-5 he travelled across the USA as a hobo riding
freight trains. From 1897-8 he was a gold prospector in
the Klondike, and in 1904 and 1915 he worked as a war
correspondent for a newspaper. He decided to become a
writer after he spent thirty unpleasant days in prison. He
© Pearson Education 2001
was married twice. Problems with alcohol led to a number
of illnesses, and he died from an overdose of morphine at
the age of 40 in 1916. Some people think he killed himself.
BACKGROUND AND THEMES
White Fang is the story of how a wild animal is tamed and
civilised. The story begins in the sub-arctic country of the
Northwest Territories of Canada. Through this remote land
of long, cold winters flows the Mackenzie river which rises
in the Great Slave Lake and flows north-west into
Mackenzie Bay. The Mackenzie is one of the longest rivers
in North America but it is frozen for most of the year: it is
only navigable from June to October. Few people live
there because there are few natural resources, and no
farming is possible because the summers are short and
the soil is poor.
In this beautiful but harsh country with its pine forests
and its high rocky mountains, there are many animals,
such as wolves, bears and wild cats. But the area is
hostile even for animals. White Fang’s father dies and so
his brothers and sisters also die without enough food,
leaving just him and his mother behind to fend for
themselves. In White Fang’s early life, Jack London shows
us all the harshness of the natural world, where animal
feeds on animal and where only the strongest and fiercest
survive.
When White Fang is three years old, he is found by the
indigenous people of the Mackenzie River area and is
taken to live with them. These native Americans – or
‘Indians’ – lived by hunting and fishing, and moved from
place to place using canoes and sleds, living in camps in
tents. There was often not much food, and as we see in
the story, many Indians died from famine. Their dogs were
an important part of the Indians’ life. The dogs pulled the
sleds and helped with the hunting. The way in which the
Indians treated their animals may seem cruel, but the life
they led was hard. Although White Fang does not love his
owner, Grey Beaver, he respects him.
In 1896, gold was found where the Klondike River joins
the Yukon River and large numbers of people came up
from the south, from San Francisco and California, hoping
to make their fortunes. It is there, in Fort Yukon in
Alaska, that a ‘white’ man, Beauty Smith, shows real
Penguin Readers Factsheets
T e a c h e r’s n o t e s
cruelty to White Fang. Grey Beaver, like many other Indians,
travels across the mountains to Fort Yukon, to sell his
leather shoes and other goods to the in-comers. But the
white men despised the Indians and Beauty Smith knows
he can make Grey Beaver sell White Fang to him for just a
few bottles of whisky. Beauty Smith enjoys beating White
Fang. In return, White Fang hates him.
A third, more civilised way of treating animals is shown to
us by Weedon Scott, who rescues White Fang from a dog
fight. Scott’s approach is through reward and kindness, not
hitting and beating. This kinder way means White Fang
loves his new owner, and Scott’s reward for his kindness is
that White Fang rescues him from danger and burglary.
In this moving and perceptive tale of one animal’s
relationship with humans, Jack London shows us how
brutality, hate and anger, even in a wild animal, can be
overcome by the civilising effect of the better side of human
nature: compassion, gentleness and affection.
Then talk with the whole class about how people teach
animals. What is the best way?
Chapters 7–9
In these chapters, White Fang goes to a new place and has
to learn new ways. Ask students to look up ‘rule’ in their
dictionaries. Then ask them to work in pairs and write 5
important rules for a new person who comes to their school
or to their home. They can make sentences beginning ‘You
can/can’t/have to...’ They can make rules for: someone
from another world or another country or another town.
ACTIVITIES AFTER READING THE BOOK
Write the names of the chapters on the board in jumbled
order. Ask students to copy the names and put the right
chapter number next to each chapter name. Tell them not
to look in the book! The first person with the right answer is
the winner!
Glossary
Communicative activities
The following teacher-led activities cover the same sections
of text as the exercises at the back of the Reader, and
supplement those exercises. For supplementary exercises
covering shorter sections of the book see the photocopiable
Student’s Activities pages of this Factsheet. These are
primarily for use with class readers but, with the exception
of discussion and pair/groupwork questions, can also be
used by students working alone in a self-access centre.
It will be useful for your students to know the following words. They are
practised in the ‘Before You Read’sections at the back of the book.
(Definitions are based on those in the Longman Active Study
Dictionary.)
Chapters 1–3
bite (v) to cut or crush something with your teeth
camp (n) a place where people stay in temporary shelters such as tents
cave (n) a large natural hole in a hill or in the ground
cub (n) a young, lion, bear, wolf, etc
fangs (n) the long sharp teeth of an animal such as a wolf
god (n) the being who Christians, Jews and Moslems pray to
ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOK
1 Put students in pairs. Ask them to find out what animal
their partner likes best. Write all the animals on the
blackboard. Which animal does the class like best?
2 Show students four or five pictures of wild animals,
including a wolf. Write the names on the board. Ask
students to write down the names of the animals and
number them 1 to 5. Number 1 is the animal which they
like the best. Put students in pairs to talk about their
answers. Talk about the animals with the whole class.
Which animal do the students like best? Who likes the
wolf the best?
leather (n) animal skin that has been treated, used to make shoes,
bags, etc
lie down (v) to put yourself in a position in which your body is flat
neck (n) the part of your body that joins your head to your shoulders
sled (n) a vehicle for moving over snow on two long narrow pieces of
metal or wood
smell (v) to recognize something using your nose
snarl (v) if an animal snarls, it makes a low angry sound and shows its
teeth
stick (n) a long thin piece of wood
stroke (v) to move your hand gently over something
tie (v) to fasten something with a string or rope
ACTIVITIES AFTER READING A SECTION
Chapters 1–3
village (n) a very small town in the countryside
wolf (n) a wild animal that looks like a large dog
Ask students to write down
• the bad things in White Fang’s life.
• the good things in his life.
Students work in pairs or small groups and talk about their
answers. Does White Fang really have a ‘hard life’? Talk
about this with the whole class.
Chapters 4–6
Ask students to talk about these questions in pairs:
• How does Beauty Smith teach White Fang?
• How does Weedon Scott teach White Fang?
© Pearson Education 2001
Publis hed and d is tribu ted by Pearson Education
F act s heet wri tt en by Ca ro lyn Wa lker
Fact sh eet ser ies dev elo ped by Louis e James
level
2
Penguin Readers Factsheets
level
E
Student’s activities
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White Fang
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Photocopiable
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These activities can be done alone or with one or more other
students. Pair/group-only activities are marked.
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Activities before reading the book
1 Look up map and north in your dictionary and then find
a map of Canada. Find the Mackenzie River. Where is
it? What are the mountains called?
2 Find out what the Klondike is.
Now read the Introduction on page v.
3 Look up wild in your dictionary. Then put these words
in the right sentences: strong, liked, half-dog, hard,
wolf, wild, hates
(a) White Fang is a .............. .
(b) Jack London ....... wolves because they were ........
and .......... .
(c) White Fang’s mother is a ................. .
(d) White Fang ............. the other dogs.
(e) White Fang’s life is ...................... .
4 Why do you think the Indians take White Fang to their
camp? Talk about this with another student.
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3 Talk about these questions with a friend.
(a) Why did the he-wolf die?
(b) Why did the mother wildcat come to the cave?
Chapter 2
Answer the questions:
(a) What is the name of White Fang’s mother?
(b) Why doesn’t Kiche bite the Indians?
(c) Why did she run away from the Indians?
(d) Why does White Fang fight with Lip-lip?
(e) What happens when White Fang goes near the sticks?
(f) Why does Gray Beaver hit White Fang?
(g) Why does White Fang cry in the night?
(h) What does White Fang learn from the other dogs in the
camp?
(i) Why does White Fang turn into a dangerous animal?
Chapter 3
Activities while reading the book
Chapter 1
1 Which thing happened first, second, third, fourth, etc?
Number the sentences 1-10.
(a) The gray cub and his mother kill the wildcat in
their cave.
(b) The wolf cubs are born.
(c) A mother wildcat comes to the cave.
(d) The red cubs die.
(e) The she-wolf finds a dry warm cave.
(f) The he-wolf brings food for the cubs and their
mother.
(g) The he-wolf leaves the cave to find food.
(h) The gray cub has his first fight with a wildcat.
(i) The gray cub goes outside the cave.
(j)
The he-wolf dies.
2 Are these sentences right or wrong? Change the wrong
sentences so they are right.
(a) The cubs are born in April.
(b) The cubs are born in the snow.
(c) When the he-wolf sees the cubs, he stays in the
cave.
(d) The cubs die because they are sick.
Make sentences from these half sentences.
(a) White Fang runs away from the camp because
(b) He follows the large river because
(c) White Fang is happy when
(d) Gray Beaver gives White Fang meat when
(e) Kiche bites White Fang because
(f) In White Fang’s third year many Indians die because
(g) White Fang does not die because
(h) Kloo-klooch gives White Fang a fish when
(i) he comes out of the woods.
(ii) there is no food.
(iii) the Indians are leaving.
(iv) he saw Gray Beaver near the fire.
(v) he finds food in the woods.
(vi) he wants to finds his gods.
(vii) he finds Gray Beaver again.
(viii) she does not remember him.
Chapter 4
1 Put each of these words in the right places:
afraid, dangerous, fought, won, fighter, hurt,
well, kill, bit, slowly, near.
White Fang was a ............ He did not like to be ..........
other dogs. He always .......... his fights because the
(e) The gray cub finds a baby wild cat in the woods.
(f) The gray cub cannot fight well.
other dogs in the villages ........ more ............. . They
(g) The gray cub is sad
Fang fought the white people’s dogs. These dogs
© Pearson Education 2001
did not often .......... White Fang. In Fort Yukon, White
ELEMENTARY
Penguin Readers Factsheets
Student’s activities
also could not fight ......... They did not like White Fang
because he was .............. White Fang ....... the white
men’s dogs but he did not ....... them.. White Fang was
............. of the white men.
2 Talk about these questions with a friend
(a) What does this mean: ‘But Beauty Smith knew
Gray Beaver’?
(b) Gray Beaver said nothing when Beauty Smith hit
White Fang. Did Gray Beaver do the right thing?
Scott
3 The city is loud but the country is .........
4 Collie runs after White Fang but she cannot .......... him.
5 When Scott strokes White Fang, White Fang feels
..........
6 When White Fang knows that Scott is leaving, he is
............
7 Scott says goodbye to White Fang ............
8 White Fang jumps through the ...........
9 Collie jumps at White Fang .............
Chapter 5
1 Who says these sentences to who and when? What
are they talking about? Don’t look at the book!
(a) ‘Eat him!’
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(b) ‘We have to open his mouth.’
(c) ‘And how much for this dog now?’
(d) ‘I’m not selling’
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(e) ‘Take the money or I’ll hit you again.’
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2 Talk about these questions with a friend or write your
answers
(a) Beauty Smith says: ‘But I’m going to tell the police
in Dawson.’ What is he going to tell the police
about?
(b) White Fang has a new god. Will his life be better
or worse now? How?
Chapter 6
Find these sentences in the book. Then use the best word
from the words below and make one longer sentence, like
this:
and, but, so, because
(a) White Fang could not understand these gods.
(b) They did not hit him. (page 22)
White Fang did not understand these gods because
they did not hit him.
1
(a) The next day, Scott sat outside the house.
(b) White Fang watched him. (page 23)
2
(a) He watched the god.
(b) Nothing happened. (page 23)
3
(a) The god did not get up and he did not hit him.
(b) White Fang took the meat and ate it. (page 23)
4
(a) The wolf can’t work or eat.
(b) He wants you. (page 25)
5
(a) Scott looked at Matt
(b) His eyes shone. (page 27)
Chapter 7
Do this crossword. (Look up crossword in your dictionar y.)
What name is inside the box?
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Chapter 8
What can White Fang do with these people and things in
the Southland? What can’t he do? What does he have to
do? You are Weedon Scott. Talk to White Fang, like this :
You can’t fight Dick. You have to be friends with him.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
Collie
Scott’s children
Scott’s father
the chickens
the cats
the meat in the stores
the people in the town
Say or write your answers. Talk about your answers with a
friend.
Chapter 9
Say why:
(a) Scott’s family love White Fang more after Scott falls
from his horse
(b) White Fang jumps at the strange god on the stairs
(c) The doctor says White Fang is going to die
(d) White Fang is interested in the little dog.
Activities after reading the book
Would you like to have an animal like White Fang? Why or
why not? Talk about your ideas with a friend or write your
answer.
1 When White Fang snarls at Scott’s mother, her face is
..........
2 White Fang thinks that Scott’s mother wants to .........
© Pearson Education 2001
Published and di st ributed b y P ear son E ducat ion
Factsheet written by Carolyn Walker
Fa ctshe et s e ri es devel oped by Lo uise J ame s
level
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