Summary
Summary of Michael, Brother of Jerry
Key ideas
Key idea 1
A theft begins an unexpected bond
On a dark beach at Tulagi, Dag Daughtry sees Michael as a dog he can sell. The steward checks the Irish terrier’s jaw, feet and tail, deciding what he might fetch in Sydney. Then he draws Michael after him with quiet calls and a faint kissing sound.
Daughtry hides the dog aboard the Makambo, but this theft begins something he has not planned. A man looking for money is about to discover an attachment that changes what he values.
Key idea 2
Affection takes the place of greed
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Key idea 3
A new ship shelters their bond
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Key idea 4
Cruelty brings destruction to the schooner
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Key idea 5
Michael sings to support his master
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Key idea 6
Greed tears Michael from his master
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Key idea 7
Confinement reveals the cost of performance
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Key idea 8
Look beyond the applause
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Key idea 9
Each master reveals a different value
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
You will enjoy this if you love dog stories, South Seas adventure, sea voyages, rogues with warm hearts, or books that look closely at how animals think and feel.
What this book is
What would a man give up for a dog he stole to sell? Michael, Brother of Jerry, by Jack London, follows an Irish terrier named Michael from the Solomon Islands to the stages of America. You meet a beer-loving steward, a treasure-hunting schooner and a school where animals are trained through pain. The book also carries an open argument against trained-animal acts. It begins on a dark beach at Tulagi, where a small theft starts everything.
In this summary
- 1A steward steals a dog on a dark beachFree
- 2Love grows in a small stateroom
- 3A deck fight wins Michael a place aboard
- 4The Ship of Fools and its Ancient Mariner
- 5A grieving whale sinks the schooner
- 6A singing dog earns a family's living
- 7A doctor and a trainer take everything
- 8A crate carries Michael into a strange world
- 9What the story says about dogs and cruelty
Key point 1 of 9
A steward steals a dog on a dark beach
The story opens at Tulagi in the Solomon Islands. Captain Kellar forgets his Irish terrier, Michael, on the beach, and the steamer Makambo sails with the dog hidden aboard. The thief is Dag Daughtry, a steward famous for drinking six quarts of bottled beer every day.
Daughtry sizes Michael up like a dealer. He checks the dog's jaw, feet and tail, striking matches for a closer look and decides he is worth twenty pounds in Sydney. He wins the dog slowly, by pretending not to care, then calling softly, Stick around, dog. A faint kissing sound from his lips draws Michael after him across the sand.
The chapter shows the book's first idea. A man steals for money, and the dog starts to change him. Daughtry has a servant too, a leprous young man named Kwaque, whom he rescued from men with spears after a pig died. He does not know what Kwaque's twisted fingers mean, and that matters later.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Check yourself
How does Daughtry’s reason for keeping Michael change?
Right. “Dag Daughtry steals Michael for beer money and learns that love is worth more.”Not quite. “Dag Daughtry steals Michael for beer money and learns that love is worth more.”
What causes the whale to attack the Mary Turner?
Right. “One lucky bullet kills the calf of a huge cow whale.”Not quite. “One lucky bullet kills the calf of a huge cow whale.”
What does London ask readers to do about trained-animal acts?
Right. “He writes that trained-animal acts rest on cruelty, and he asks readers simply to leave the theater when one begins.”Not quite. “He writes that trained-animal acts rest on cruelty, and he asks readers simply to leave the theater when one begins.”
Questions about Michael, Brother of Jerry
What is Michael, Brother of Jerry about?
It follows an Irish terrier named Michael, who is stolen from a beach in the Solomon Islands and travels through ships, treasure hunts and animal acts across America. It tells how people treat a loving, clever dog.
Is Michael, Brother of Jerry a sequel?
Michael and Jerry are brothers, and the story often looks back at their shared past.
Why does Jack London say trained-animal acts are cruel?
His preface and the story argue that animal acts depend on fear and pain behind the stage. The book shows training scenes at Cedarwild and elsewhere, and urges readers to leave the theater when such an act begins.
Who is Dag Daughtry?
He is a ship's steward who drinks six quarts of beer a day and steals Michael to sell him. He grows so fond of the dog that he gives up his wages and takes huge risks to keep him.
When was Michael, Brother of Jerry written?
London dates his preface December 8, 1915. It is a lively adventure with short chapters, sea voyages, humor and a clear voice, which makes it easy to follow.
