Jack London 1876-1916

The novel belongs to the genre of KÜNSTLERROMAN – in English means “artist’s novel” – such kind of novel tends to show the formation and development of an artist.

The message of the story may be found in dreams, aims which can be true . Goals that get reached are those that are firm, well-defined, and to which the individual is truly and completely committed. The hero is a sailor and laborer whose endurance and intellectual curiosity lead him to educate himself so that he may share what he conceives to be the fine, high-thinking life of the wealthy bourgeoisie.

He is inspired by Ruth Morse, a college-trained society girl, to him a symbol of what he considers are the values of her class. He becomes a writer, expressing the view of life to which his reading of Spencer has guided him.

The novel teaches us to be determined, decisive and take the matter in our hands, to struggle for our purpose and never back down. To sum up, the moral reflected in the proverb: “Climb high, climb far, your goal the sky, your aim the stars”.

The message is expressed implicitly, i.e. indirectly, and has a complex analytical character, being created by the interaction of numerous implications which the different elements of the literary work have.

The exposition

The exposition takes place at the beginning of the story, where the author gives us preliminary information about the protagonist of the story. Martin Eden as a sailor. He is rough and uneducated from a working class background. He makes the acquaintance of Ruth who is from a bourgeois family. It casts light on the circumstances influencing the development of characters.

The climax

• Climax of the story is rather unexpected. One publishing house decided to publish a limited edition of a critical-philosophical book "The Shame of the Sun.” The book caused a sensation. It was noticed and appreciated by leading writers. The controversy around it creates Martin’s "name." He became famous.