The Sea-Wolf

by

Jack London

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Humphrey Van Weyden

Humphrey Van Weyden, the narrator of The Sea-Wolf, is a wealthy intellectual and literary critic in his thirties who. After a ferry collision leaves Van Weyden stranded at sea, Wolf Larsen, the fearsome sealread analysis of Humphrey Van Weyden

Wolf Larsen

The story’s antagonist, Wolf Larsen is the captain of a seal-hunting vessel called the Ghost. He rescues Humphrey Van Weyden after spotting him adrift in the sea following a ferry wreck, then he… read analysis of Wolf Larsen

Maud Brewster

Maud Brewster is a poet. Wolf Larsen rescues her after a shipwreck leaves her stranded at sea, then he forces her to stay on his vessel, the Ghost. Brewster soon becomes the love interest… read analysis of Maud Brewster

Death Larsen

Death Larsen is the brother of the seal-hunting captain Wolf Larsen and is reportedly even more ruthless in his methods as a leader. He is captain of the Macedonia (likely a reference to the… read analysis of Death Larsen

Thomas Mugridge

Thomas Mugridge is the cook and one of the lowest-ranking sailors on Wolf Larsen’s vessel, the Ghost. He is noteworthy for having a Cockney accent (associated with a working-class area of London). Mugridge… read analysis of Thomas Mugridge
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George Leach

George Leach is a young sailor on Wolf Larsen’s vessel the Ghost. He becomes dissatisfied with life aboard the Ghost, particularly after witnessing Johnson be severely beaten. Eventually, he and Johnson attempt a… read analysis of George Leach

Johnson

Johnson is a sailor on Wolf Larsen’s vessel, the Ghost. Unlike Johansen, Johnson is not loyal to Wolf and even attempts a mutiny with George Leach. Though Wolf does not immediately… read analysis of Johnson

Johansen

Johansen is a sailor on Wolf Larsen’s vessel, the Ghost. He is of Scandinavian heritage. When Humphrey Van Weyden joins the Ghost, the previous mate has just died, and Johansen has received… read analysis of Johansen

The Red-Faced Man

The red-faced man is a passenger on the same ship as Humphrey Van Weyden that sinks off the coast of San Francisco. He is much more experienced on the sea than Van Weyden, and his… read analysis of The Red-Faced Man
Minor Characters
Louis
Louis is a sailor from Nova Scotia who works on Wolf Larsen’s vessel, the Ghost. A friendly and talkative man, Louis’s main role in the story is to explain things to the narrator, Humphrey Van Weyden, who is new to life at sea.