This text aims to capture the spirit of the American wilderness and its people, in the early 20th century. These youthful tales also include important social themes and ideas. By the age of 29, Jack London was the highest-paid and most widely read author in America, thanks to the huge popularity of The Call of the Wild, The Sea Wolf, and White Fang. Themes of these books also pervade this collection of short stories: survival though adaptation, compassion for the less fortunate, a respect for physical power in both man and nature, and the need for social justice.