“It is a unique phenomenon when a male becomes a man so late in life, probably because if he never really became a man when most do, he probably won't will ever become one. He certainly won't look for someone to father him as his own father failed to do, and if one of these people appears on the scene he will likely shun the man as a defense mechanism. (Christine Weber) When readers first meet Humphrey Van Weyden, he is no match for almost any man. Over the course of the novel The Sea Wolf, "Hump", as he is nicknamed by Wolf Larsen, transforms into much more than a man, Hump becomes his Superman. His profound transformation into Humphrey Van Weyden... man, can be attributed to his experiences aboard Ghost and interactions with the crew. At first impression, Hump is far from effortless. He is described as cowardly and weak-hearted. The shipwreck of the ferry bears witness to this. As the boat begins to sink, Hump sees people screaming, including a multitude of women. Hump ​​likens this phenomenon to “the squealing of pigs under the butcher's knife.” (Jack London) This scares Hump so much that he has to run away across the bridge to regain his composure. Once the ferry sinks, Hump is left floating in the cold, dark water. “I was alone, floating in the midst of a gray primordial vastness, I confess that a madness seized me, that I cried out loud as the women had done, and beat the water with my numb hands.” (Jack London) It becomes clear that Humphrey has never been alone and is afraid of being alone. He was never able to fend for himself and test his abilities. Hump ​​doesn't know what he's truly capable of. After the ferry sinks, Hump is rescued by the ship Ghost, commanded by Wolf Larsen. Once brought aboard, two sailors revive Hump. One of... middle of the card... a man who is no longer absent from reality, but in a much more real sense, now guided by it. Bibliography Auerbach, Jonathan. Male Calling: Becoming Jack London. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1996. Print.Barrish, Phillip. The Cambridge introduction to American literary realism. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2011. Print.Deane, Paul. "Jack London: the paradox of individualism". New York State English Council, Oswego 19.2 (1968): 14-19. Network. 25 November 2013. London, Jack. The sea wolf, etc. [A novel.]. Macmillan Co.: New York; Macmillan &:London, 1904. Print.Sauble, Margaret. "The Sea Wolf's Humphrey Van Weyden: From Meek to Man." Suite101.com. Suite 101, November 25, 2013. Web. November 26, 2013.Weber, M. Christine. "Humphrey Weyden and Wolf Larsen | M. Christine Weber." Christine Weber RSS. Np, 15 April 2010. Web. 26 November. 2013.