Themes In The Call Of The Wild

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“All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive.” (Yann Martle) As the quote from Yann Martle shows above, you can tell that a major theme in Jack London's classic book Call of the Wild is that adaptability is essential for survival, which Buck goes throughout the whole story.

At the beginning, buck has to adapt to the hostile environment of Alaska. First, Buck went from living to sun in California, to snow in Alaska. Buck experiences snow when he is first shipped to Alaska on the Narwhal. Since Buck was from California, he was used to the warm weather and has to adapt to the
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First,Buck has to adapt to actually being loved for the first time. For example, John Thorton, saved Buck and then shows him the love no one has ever gave him. Since Buck was just property, all his previous owners didn't actually love him. Second, Buck has to adapt to his unused instincts coming back to him from his ancestors. For instance, Buck hears a call late at night every night for multiple nights in a row to be a wild dog. Since, Buck has to Buck never has lived in the wild., he has never had to use his wild instincts. Last, Buck has to adapt to the way wolves do things in order to survive. For example when John Thorton died Buck decided it was best for him to join a wolf pack. Since, Buck has never been on his own for food, shelter, and many other things, he adapts to kill for himself, and protect himself throughout the night. In conclusion, throughout the whole novel, Buck has to use adaptability in order to survive.

The paragraphs above show that for Buck, adaptability was essential for survival in Jack Londons book Call of the Wild. Like Yann Martle said, “All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive.” it is just like how Buck had to adapt to

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