The Sea Wolf Trivia Quiz

Answer: Humphrey van Weyden

This story is narrated by Mr. Humphrey van Weyden, aka "Hump".

Answer: He is a writer

Though he never actually says so, you get a hint that he doesn't get all his money from his writing. Perhaps his father left him a small fortune. Anyway, we know that he was quite rich and well-to-do before he came aboard the Ghost.

Answer: The Martinez

Hump was returning from his weekly trip to visit his friend, Charley Furuseth, and was on his way back to San Francisco when the Martinez collided with an unnamed ferry-boat and sank to the bottom of the sea.

Answer: No

We do, however, learn that he was a Dane who grew up in Norway poor and uneducated. He turned cabin boy "at the mature age of ten", was a "ship's boy" at fourteen, an ordinary seaman at sixteen and an able seaman at seventeen. He taught himself to read and developed his own (and undeniably depressing) theory of life.

Answer: False

Actually, Hump makes a point of stressing how handsome and almost god-like Wolf Larsen is in appearance.

Answer: Mug

Thomas Mugridge was one of the less-pleasant characters of "The Sea Wolf", being a sneaky, cowardly, self-centered poor excuse for a man. You do, however, feel slightly sympathetic when he relates his pathetic life story.

Answer: Japan

Yes, Japan is their seal-hunting destination. Also heading for Japan is Wolf Larsen's brother, Death Larsen (what a charming nickname!).

Answer: He hides under a bunk until the action is over

Though this was rather a cowardly thing to do, you must recall that at this time Hump was still quite weak and still shocked at the crew and captain's show of violence and lack of feelings. And, anyway, when the fight was over, Hump made himself useful by doctoring the wounded.

Answer: Dawson

The crew of the Ghost consists of the hunters (who do nothing except kill seals and are lazy during every other part of the voyage), the sailors and, of course, the unforgetable cook, Thomas Mugridge.

Answer: Leach and Johnson

Leach harbors an animal-like hatred for Wolf, while Johnson is terrified of him after being beaten like a dog by the captain over something ridiculously trivial. Twice they try to escape via one of the seal-hunting boats: the first time they are dragged back aboard, and the second time a gale swoops up and Wolf Larsen refuses to let them aboard and they drown beside the Ghost.

Answer: "Sissy" van Weydon

As you can probably guess, Hump was never into athletics or being macho in any way, but prefered books and his studies. Thus he became quite intellegent but pathetically unexperienced in the field of manual labor.

Answer: A yeasty ferment which eats its fellows in order to move but which inevitably ceases to move

Wolf seems to particularly enjoy preaching his theories to Hump, who utterly disapproves of their lack of any form of idealism.

Answer: Four

Though we are not told the name of the ship or how it sank, we do know that Maud was travelling "for her health" to Yokohama when it did.

Answer: "Kiss Endured"

It turns out that both Maud and Hump have known each other before, as Hump has known Maud for her verse and Maud has know Hump because he wrote a critique of her verse.

Answer: Maud

However, due to her brilliant literary career, Hump would occasionally refer to her as the "American Mrs. Meynell".

Answer: Thomas Mugridge

In a horribly unjust spirit of sport, Wolf Larsen orders Mugridge to be dunked in the water to clean him as he is a disgustingly dirty man. The result was a wild chase to catch him (none of the crew liked him, so it was hardly a fair chase with the whole ship against the Cockney) and, once Mugridge was in the water, dangling from a rope, along comes a shark which promptly bites off his right foot. To add further injustice, Wolf orders the shark caught, and once it is, a stick is jammed in the its mouth so that it cannot eat.

Answer: false

Yes, Maud is attacked by Wolf and yes, Hump attacks Wolf, but all he managed to do was stab him in the shoulder with a knife, after which Wolf seemed to realize what a bad thing he was doing and became nearly meek with shock. "I am a sick man, a very sick man, Hump," he says as Humphrey helps him into a chair.

Answer: No

Leaving Wolf in his bunk still in shock over his attack on Maud, Humphrey loads one of the seal-hunting boats with all sorts of provisions (except, as he later furiously realizes, matches). He asks Maud to come with him and she says okay. He took only her, and her alone.

Answer: No, neither of them can

Apparently, Maud, like Hump, was never into athletics either for she, like him, did not know how to swim.

Answer: It is uninhabited by humans

Though the couple optimistically thought there may be a station on the island, there was none and the island was completely absent of any form of human life.
There was a huge population of seals, but no walruses were mentioned.
They did find a single seal-hunting boat, nearly buried in sand, but that was it for shipwrecks.
The island, plant-wise, was quite barren and mainly covered with rocks and brush.

Answer: Endeavor Island

Though they were only on the island for few weeks, Hump and Maud took the time to name their island and, upon leaving it aboard the Ghost, they lamented the prospect of not seeing it again. "Dear, dear Endeavor Island! I shall always love it," cries Maud.

Answer: The Ghost washes up on the island, with only a weak Wolf Larsen aboard

It turns out that not long after Hump and Maud deserted the Ghost, the whole crew abandoned Wolf to serve his brother, Death Larsen, aboard his ship, the Macedonia. However, earlier Wolf had captured nearly all of Death's seal-hunting boats and forced his hunters to work for him, so it was in a way just what Wolf had coming to him. All alone on the Ghost, Wolf (who wasn't feeling well) let her drift at her will, and her will took her to Endeavor Island.

Answer: He becomes fully paralyzed and dies in this state

We do not know exactly what causes Wolf's paralysis, but we do know that he became blind and then he couldn't feel or control the left side of his body. Bedridden, he soon lost feeling in his right side as well until his whole body became paralyzed. After he stopped breathing, Hump and Maud ceremoniously tossed his body overboard.

Answer: Van Weydon has Miss Brewster in his arms aboard the Ghost as a U. S. ship heads their way

Almost since the very beginning, Hump knew he was in love with Maud, but didn't dare tell her because of the trying circumstances. Not even until the second-last page does he (intentionally) give away his feelings, and on the very last page, as they stand alone on the deck of the Ghost, they embrace and declare their love as a ship (a "United States revenue cutter") heads their way, which undoubtedly means they shall be rescued.

Answer: 1904

"The Sea Wolf" was published by Jack London after "The Son of the Wolf" (1900) and "The Call of the Wild" (1903) and before "White Fang" (1906), "The Iron Heel" (1907) "Martin Eden" (1909), "John Barleycorn" (1913) and "The Star Rover" (1915). Hoped you enjoyed this quiz and please contact me if I made any mistakes!