In The Call of the Wild, by Jack London, a dog’s journey and its experiences illustrate the art of survival. Of the multifarious morals found in this book, the most prominent is that one must adapt to their surroundings in order to survive. This was portrayed by Buck, the dog protagonist, when he had to rely on his instincts that “came to him without effort or discovery” (London, 26), when he transfered owners multiple times, and when he was “suddenly jerked from the heart of civilization and flung into the heart of things primordial” (London, 15). Through the constant changes in his life, Buck had no other choice but to adapt in order to survive.
First and foremost, Buck learned how to adapt to the wilderness when he had to depend on his …show more content…
The first shift in owners occured when Buck was taken from Judge Miller and was placed with the man in the red sweater. This was one of the most important changes as he “learned the lesson, and in all his after life he never forgot it” (London, 11). The lesson was the law of club and fang, meaning “club was a revelation… a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed” (London, 11). The second transition of owners was to François and Perrault. This was the most difficult adaptation for Buck as he had to learn the ways of sled dogs, where “all was confusion and action” (London, 15). François was the prominent leader of the two men and vowed to “tich heem (Buck) queek as anyt’ing” (London, 17). While the two men were not the best mentors, they helped Buck learn right from wrong in order to survive. The final changeover was to John Thornton, who taught Buck how to love and care for another. Buck became quite attached to Thornton and felt a “love, genuine passionate love” (London, 78) for him. Buck demonstrates this love when he saves John Thornton from “Black” Burton, when he “earned sixteen hundred dollars in five minutes fro John Thornton” (London, 95), and when he saved Thornton from drowning in the “bad stretch of rapids on the Forty Mile Creek” (London, 84). All in all, Buck’s survival depended on his flexibility throughout change, whether it was good or bad, and whether …show more content…
For example, when he lived in “sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley” (London, 1), he had an extremely serene way of life. His days consisted of “hunting with the Judge’s sons” (London, 2) and “plunging into the swimming tank” (London, 2). So when Buck was taken out of that environment, it was very agitating. This was displayed when Buck was handed over to a saloonkeeper who wronged him. While the saloonkeeper was Buck’s guardian, Buck was abused and experienced “intolerable pain from throat to tongue” (London, 6). This was the first time Buck had ever been mistreated in his life, so he needed to determine how to keep this abuse from occurring. When Buck was finally freed from the maltreatment of the saloonkeeper and the man in the red sweater, he was handed over to François and Perrault, two French-Canadians. They took Buck to Dyea Beach, where Buck experiences “white mushy something very like mud” (London, 14). His first day at the beach was “filled with shock and surprise” (London, 15). François and Perrault treated Buck well and overtime, Buck learned how to endure the conditions of the wild. When Buck transitioned from civilization to the wilderness, he mastered adaptation and discovered there was so much more to life than he ever
First and foremost, Buck learned how to adapt to the wilderness when he had to depend on his …show more content…
The first shift in owners occured when Buck was taken from Judge Miller and was placed with the man in the red sweater. This was one of the most important changes as he “learned the lesson, and in all his after life he never forgot it” (London, 11). The lesson was the law of club and fang, meaning “club was a revelation… a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed” (London, 11). The second transition of owners was to François and Perrault. This was the most difficult adaptation for Buck as he had to learn the ways of sled dogs, where “all was confusion and action” (London, 15). François was the prominent leader of the two men and vowed to “tich heem (Buck) queek as anyt’ing” (London, 17). While the two men were not the best mentors, they helped Buck learn right from wrong in order to survive. The final changeover was to John Thornton, who taught Buck how to love and care for another. Buck became quite attached to Thornton and felt a “love, genuine passionate love” (London, 78) for him. Buck demonstrates this love when he saves John Thornton from “Black” Burton, when he “earned sixteen hundred dollars in five minutes fro John Thornton” (London, 95), and when he saved Thornton from drowning in the “bad stretch of rapids on the Forty Mile Creek” (London, 84). All in all, Buck’s survival depended on his flexibility throughout change, whether it was good or bad, and whether …show more content…
For example, when he lived in “sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley” (London, 1), he had an extremely serene way of life. His days consisted of “hunting with the Judge’s sons” (London, 2) and “plunging into the swimming tank” (London, 2). So when Buck was taken out of that environment, it was very agitating. This was displayed when Buck was handed over to a saloonkeeper who wronged him. While the saloonkeeper was Buck’s guardian, Buck was abused and experienced “intolerable pain from throat to tongue” (London, 6). This was the first time Buck had ever been mistreated in his life, so he needed to determine how to keep this abuse from occurring. When Buck was finally freed from the maltreatment of the saloonkeeper and the man in the red sweater, he was handed over to François and Perrault, two French-Canadians. They took Buck to Dyea Beach, where Buck experiences “white mushy something very like mud” (London, 14). His first day at the beach was “filled with shock and surprise” (London, 15). François and Perrault treated Buck well and overtime, Buck learned how to endure the conditions of the wild. When Buck transitioned from civilization to the wilderness, he mastered adaptation and discovered there was so much more to life than he ever