White Fang
'White Fang,' from Classics Illustrated, No. 80, front cover, Feb. 1951, London, Jack, published by Gilberton Company, Inc.: New York, USA
Here we see a story of the two natures present in all beings: civilized and wild. A wolf-dog, White Fang, embodies both possibilities, and it falls to men to tame the beast and bring out the good in the animal. Under brutal masters, such as Smith, White Fang exhibits ferocity and wildness. With master Scott, the wolf-dog learns to love and protect its family. In the cover image of this novel, White Fang attacks Smith, who had come to steal the dog from Scott. When given the choice, the beast chooses humanity – an idealistic view of the outcome of the contest between being feral or cultivated.
Sheena: Jungle Queen
'The River-Of-No-Return!,' from Jumbo Comics, No. 106, front cover, Dec. 1947, Thomas, W. Morgan, published by Real Adventures Pub. Co., Inc.: New York, USA
Reared in the wild, Sheena, Jungle Queen, perfectly embodies the dual nature viewed in humankind. On the one hand, she represents savagery and all the fierce capability of rogue beasts; this quality defines her character as a resistance to tyranny. On the other hand, only her human nature can funnel her ferocity into the greater good of saving people by fighting wicked humans and rogue beasts.
