Martin Eden - Translation, Classics Library 020

Author: Jack London
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: He hopped on a trolley to Berkeley from Telegraph Avenue. The car was full of young people, singing, and occasionally shouting the cheers of the university cheerleading squad. He watched them curiously. They were all college boys. They attended the same university as her, held the same social status, and could have gotten to know her. If they were happy, they could even meet her every day. He wondered why they didn’t want to do so. That night, they preferred to go out and have fun rather than stay with her, talk to her, sit in a circle around her, adore her, and admire her. The more he thought about it, the farther he got. He noticed a young man with narrow eyes like slits and drooping lips. He thought, "This guy must be a scoundrel." On a ship, he’d be a thief, a complainer, a gossip. But Martin "Iden," he thought, was better than this guy. This thought made him happy. It seemed to bring him closer to her. He began to compare himself to these students. He thought of his muscular build; he believed in terms of physical strength....