White Fang Courage Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph) Shmoop has numbered the chapters continuously, but the book renumbers them in each Part.

Quote #7

Possibly Beauty Smith, arch-fiend and tormentor, was capable of breaking White Fang's spirit, but as yet there were no signs of his succeeding." (17.8)

This is a subtler kind of courage here, as opposed to the kind where you rip out somebody's throat and dance around in his blood. It's the courage to resist, to fight back by now giving in, rather than just attacking. Again, London seems to be giving White Fang a very human trait—that of a prisoner resisting whoever threw him in jail.

Quote #8

The patting movement slowly and carefully changed to a rubbing of the ears about their bases, and the physical pleasure even increased a little. Yet he continued to fear, and he stood on guard, expectant of unguessed evil, alternately suffering and enjoying as one feeling or the other came uppermost and swayed him. (20.12)

Courage can come from love—or at least from pleasant scratches, which give White Fang the ability to tame his fear. Amazing what a friendly little pat will do.

Quote #9

Weedon Scott had set himself the task of redeeming White Fang -- or rather, of redeeming mankind from the wrong it had done White Fang. It was a matter of principle and conscience. He felt that the ill done White Fang was a debt incurred by man and that it must be paid. (20.26)

Scott is showing some serious bravery. White Fang already opened up his hand, and you don't go around rehabilitating a five-foot wolf without considering the possibility of a grisly demise. Again, London stresses higher principles at stake—it's an honor thing—and ties bravery in to the noblest and best that we can be.