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Carlisha Bivins

Professor Sloan

English 114

17 November 2015

South of Kyrat: A Thematic Analysis of “South of the Slot” and Far Cry 4

Contemporary art aspires to display novel ideas. Yet, because the creative experience is

subconsciously influenced by previously acquainted concepts, characters, and controversies, the

contemporary continues to resemble older compositions. This phenomena is not medium-limited

nor is it necessarily time-constrained if a piece is transcendent of the era in which it was

produced. For example, Jack London’s 20th century narrative, “South of the Slot,” follows the

journey of reserved, conservative, sociology professor Freddie Drummond becoming the

outspoken, radical, manual laborer “Big” Bill Totts. Within the plot, major themes can be

identified such as: conflict between factions, economic disparity, and contrasting personalities.

The same can be recognized throughout Ubisoft’s Far Cry videogame series – especially the

fourth installment released in 2014 which tracks the venture of American-raised Ajay Ghale as

he visits his parents’ homeland of Kyrat. Upon arrival, he struggles with maintaining his benign

nature in the face of extreme political warfare and expectations from his rebellious father’s

followers dubbed The Golden Path. In this paper, I will rely on textual analysis, gameplay

summary, and in-game dialogue to provide the following specific parallels between both works:

how the relationship between the union workers and scabs is represented by Kryat’s rebel forces

and its military-political leaders, the determinants behind Drummond and Ghale’s general

disposition compared to the factors contributing to their character transformations, and how
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geographical slots divided the financial environments both men were to engage. Thus,

demonstrating how “South of the Slot” has transcended its era and found a loose digital

demonstration in Far Cry 4.

NATIONAL CONFLICTS

Jack London published “South of the Slot” in 1909. At this time, America was

experiencing a revolution of sorts as a result of the immigration and industrialization witnessed

during the Gilded Age. One of the greater examples rested in the attitudes of manual laborers

towards “the economic welfare of the United States in the struggle for the world market

(London).” As a response, local union members established their own sub-culture based on

solidarity, loyalty, and communing. That being said, they frequently observed outsiders entering

their work space with general suspicion and sometimes responded aggressively. London

described this phenomena when writing about the reprisal offered by Drummond’s piece-work

co-workers for his over-achievement:

And that night, […] he was interviewed by his fellow workmen, who were very

angry and incoherently slangy. […] When he refused to ease down his pace and

bleated about freedom of contract, independent Americanism, and the dignity of

toil, they […] jumped on his ribs, walked on his face, and stamped on his fingers,

so that it was only after lying in bed for a week that he was able to get up and look

for another job.

Despite the initial ill-received welcome, Drummond continues his engagements in the working

community; eventually aligning his ideals with theirs, causing him to join the Longshoremen

Union as “Big” Bill Totts. His commitment is continuously demonstrated through expressive
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altercations – usually violent in nature - with perceived “scabs”, a blue-collar epithet afforded to

men and women hindering a national advancement for the working class. To his peers, his

expressive behavior resonates as a passion for their due justice; granting him their affection and

acceptance as with many non-fictional American union figures.

While there is no explicit “scab and union-labor problem” in America today, we can still

see remnants of the previous national conflict (London). First and foremost, there are several

unions still in existence. Secondly, minimum wage workers have been protesting for an increase

in salary which reflects the cost of living. Thirdly, a large opposition is being raised towards

illegal immigrants accused of “stealing jobs” and against large corporations responsible of

outsourcing positions. A similar trend of social strife is established in Far Cry 4. At the

beginning of the game, Pagan Min is identified as the central leader of Kyrat. Under his control,

the country has spiraled into criminal corruption involving drugs, weapons, money laundering,

and unwarranted military violence. To further oppress the people of Kyrat, Pagan Min hijacks a

majority of the communication networks, has dissenters slaughtered, and places snipers to guard

certain bridges. However, an opportunity for peace still exists due to The Golden Path, a

resistance combat force struggling to re-gain Kyrat’s sovereignty by eliminating Min’s soldiers

and his district commanders’ fortresses. This fictional national conflict is substantially reflective

of real-world tensions. The most discernable would be the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Since

imposing their presence in 1950, the Chinese government has prevented the Tibetans from

communicating with the outside world, tortured them for protesting, and even restricted travel

throughout select areas (Free Tibet). While it still has not come to pass, it is hoped that the

Tibetans will find the justice they are seeking just as the union workers and The Golden Path did

in their endeavors.
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A CHANGE IN SCENARY

The physical slot described by Jack London in “South of the Slot” was “an iron crack that

ran along the center of Market street, and from the Slot arose the burr of the ceaseless, endless

cable that was hitched at will to the cars it dragged up and down.” However, it also formed a

metaphorical barrier between two economic settings within San Francisco: middle upper class

north of the iron crack and middle lower class south of the iron crack. Evidence comes from the

text where the buildings within each region is listed. Freddie Drummond’s origin was home to

“theaters, hotels, and shopping district, the banks and the staid, respectable business houses

(London).” On the other hand, the residence of Bill Totts contained “factories, slums, laundries,

machine-shops, boiler works, and the abodes of the working class (London).” In a larger sense,

this juxtaposition reflects a perception of United States held during the early 20th century that all

of the North was better than all of the South for its industrialized wealth, stability, cleanliness,

and wholesomeness.

Rather than expounding on domestic socio-economic division, Far Cry 4 compares the

United States with Kyrat, “a fictional Himalayan country (Wikipedia).” According to the Central

Intelligence Agency, America currently has the 3rd highest GDP in the world (CIA). In other

words, it is rightfully perceived as a land of affluence and superfluity. Being raised on American

soil, Ajay Ghale’s character would assumedly be accustomed to comfortable living; causing his

arrival at Kyrat to be a considerable culture-shock. While there are bridges and a few reasonable

means of transportation, the roads are entirely paved in dirt. Along either side are configurations

of different natural estates (fields, mountains, rivers, etc.) which may or may not contain wild

animals. The communities are unimproved; consequently, inhabitants are forced to reside in

small one-room huts or crowded two-story cabins. In fact, the largest man-made structures are
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watchtowers for broadcasting propaganda messages, fortresses for the military-political leaders,

and statues of pagan figures. These details accumulate to form a transcontinental socio-

economic slot which illustrates the perception that Western civilizations are better than most

Eastern settlements due to greater industrial development.

DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITIES

The personality shifts in the main characters of Far Cry 4 and “South of the Slot” can be

explained in context of theories presented by previous psychologists. For example, Sigmund

Freud previously identified three significant human personality elements: the ego, superego, and

id. Respectively, they are related to social standards, instilled morality, and biological desires.

Hans Eysenck, on the other hand, separated personality into four categories (melancholic,

choleric, phlegmatic, and sanguine) which are responsible for distinctive traits. Based on those

points, in his natural social group, Ajay Ghale is a phlegmatic young man; meaning he is even-

tempered, peaceful, and passive which suggests his ego is influenced more by his superego

(McLeod). However, when he apprehensively becomes a leader of The Golden Path’s, their

demands and expectations cause his id to gain control over his ego as a means of survival. These

chaotic conditions also force him to become choleric – aggressive, impulsive, and active

(McLeod). Conversely, Freddie Drummond’s personality wavered between melancholic and

phlegmatic – he was reserved, rigid, and sober but also careful, calm, and reliable (McLeod). His

cited persistence towards perfection suggest that he was governed strenuously by his superego.

The narrative transition into choleric (excitable, touchy, restless) “Big” Bill Totts, caused by the

over-suppression of his id, marks a release of his inhibitions about reputation, women, and drugs

(McLeod) which was encouraged by the laid-back attitudes of the southern working class social

group which he preferred as demonstrated in the following passage:

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He often found himself waiting with anticipation for the dreamy time to pass

when he could cross the Slot and cut loose and play the devil. He was not wicked,

but as "Big" Bill Totts he did a myriad things that Freddie Drummond would

never have been permitted to do. (London)

CONCLUSION

To suggest that Far Cry 4 and “South of the Slot” are one in the same would be far-

fetched; yet, to insinuate that they are downright disparate would be even more inaccurate.

However, both of their main characters are written under corresponding circumstances: willingly

migrating into an environment that his society deems less favorable which subsequently

produces alternate versions of himself as a means of surviving a faction war occurring around

him. That being said, only their respective narrative details are altered. For example, the

reasoning behind their relocation, the type of brutality they were exposed to, the groups they

were chosen to lead, etc. These slight variations are a result of the creative process. By focusing

on national conflict, dissociative identity, and socio-economic classism, Jack London contributed

literary motifs that were not only reflective of his time period but are still universally relevant

which is exactly why they re-appear in Far Cry 4.

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Works Cited

CIA. The World Factbook: United States. 28 October 2015. Online. 17 November 2015.

Free Tibet. Human Rights in Tibet. 2015. Online. 17 November 2015.

London, Jack. "South of the Slot." The Saturday Evening Post 1909. Print.

McLeod, Saul. Theories of Personality. 2014. Online. 17 November 2015.

Wikipedia. Far Cry 4. 17 November 2015. Online. 17 November 2015.