The Sea-Wolf is set at the turn of the 20th century on board the Ghost, a seal-hunting ship captained by cruel yet fascinating captain Wolf Larsen. The majority of the novel takes place on the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and Japan. Near the end of the novel, Humphrey and Maud spend a brief period of time on an island they name “The Endeavor” after attempting to escape from Wolf Larsen’s abuse.
At the turn of the 20th century (when Jack London was writing), many authors and artists were concerned with what they saw as the failings of modern society and were looking for ways to break free of the restrictions of modern institutions, like organized religion and capitalism. Many of these same authors and artists looked toward cultures of the past as a way of reconnecting with a creativity and vitality that they believed humans innately possessed within themselves, but were cut off from by modern society. This movement was called Primitivism, and it was closely related to Modernism. The Sea-Wolf, with its interest in “primitive” humanity (represented by Wolf Larsen) and the way that excessive civilization (represented by Humphrey Van Weyden) can cut people off from their innate power, is in conversation with these ideas.
The setting of the ship is ideal for exploring many of The Sea-Wolf’s themes. Its location at sea means that the men on board are separated from the majority of civilization, making it a fitting location to explore human nature outside the normal confines of society. The vast power of the sea contrasted with the comparative fragility of the ship also makes it an ideal place to explore ideas about the smallness of human civilization compared to the massive, primordial power of the natural world.
