Keesh, the Son of Keesh

"Keesh, the Son of Keesh" is a short story by Jack London on a love that requires sacrifices. Keesh, the chief of the Thlunget people, wants to trade goods for the hand of Su-Su, who is the daughter of the chief of the Tana-naws. Yet Keesh has spent time with Christian missionaries, adopting their ideas and objections to killing. This does not please the Tana-naws, who demand respect for their old ways. Su-Su agrees to marry Keesh only if he brings her three heads as proof of his devotion. Which will Keesh follow: his new-found conscience or his romantic desire? The short story is one of London's stories inspired by the period the writer spent at the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 19th century and was published in the early 20th century.



Jack London (1876–1916) was an American writer and social activist. He grew up in the working class, but became a worldwide celebrity and one of the highest paid authors of his time. He wrote several novels, which are considered classics today, among these 'Call of the Wild', 'Sea Wolf' and 'White Fang'.