The Industrial Revolution In The Call Of The Wild By Jack London

The Industrial Revolution was a pivotal point in the history of our nation; it brought about change and it led to the development of machinery that transformed the nation. Parts of the world began to thrive and invited the change; other parts never had the chance to change. As more machinery was developed, common industries were greatly affected which impacted the working class. This caused many people to find new jobs; some traveled into the Yukon territory in search of gold . During this time period the population was becoming more accustomed to sedentary lifestyles, and not many people wanted to venture out into harsh conditions. In his novel The Call of the Wild Jack London explores ideas of how some individuals are able to adapt to harsh …show more content…
An individual had to not only physically persevere through the conditions, but they also had to mentally persevere. For some people the thought of leaving home was horrifying, and for other people it was pure excitement. The daring people who did undertake the journey experienced change that benefitted them. An example of this from The Call of the Wild is Buck; he is a character who was not used to harsh conditions. Buck was a dog who had lived a rich and prosperous life in California before being forced into the arctic conditions of the Yukon. After being snatched from his previous life and being thrown into a totally new setting, he had to find a way to become apt to his surroundings. Back in California Buck was provided with all the necessary materials to survive: this included water, food, shelter and love. In the horrific Yukon territory nothing was given to Buck, for he had to work and fight for everything. After becoming acquaintanced with the sled dogs Buck was able to realize that “He must master or be mastered; while to show mercy was a weakness. Mercy did not exist in the primordial life” (167). This can be scene in the scene where where Spitz challenges Buck to a