Bedside Lamp English Learning Reader V: White Teeth (English-Chinese Contrast)

Author: Mao Ronggui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: White Fang is a novel about animal portrayals, published in 1906. The author sets the story in the cold Arctic regions of Canada, employing anthropomorphic techniques to depict a mixed-breed wolf-dog born in the wilderness. At a few months old, the mother wolf leads it from the wild world back into human life, telling the story of its transformation from wolf to dog. This dog lives alongside humans, experiencing three different life journeys and showcasing its process of humanization. Life in the Indian camp makes the dog "eccentric and lonely, with a cruel and loveless nature, filled with hatred and hostility toward both animals and humans." After the Indian owner sells it to the white brute Smith, its cynical personality deepens. Under Smith's abuse and surveillance, it becomes a deadly "war wolf." After a bloody and near-fatal dogfight, the new owner, Scott, saves it. Under the training of a kind and benevolent master, the dog overcomes its wildness, becomes a loyal pet, and finally bites and kills the master's enemy, saving the lives of the entire family. The novel ends comically, with the dog finding a happy family. In this novel, animals possess human qualities, and the author reflects the deceit and treachery among people in a capitalist society through conflicts between animals.