Archetypes In The Call Of The Wild

Have you ever thought of your sweet, loving dog becoming a savage primordial beast? Or maybe your dog moving from your cozy, warm home to sleeping in the harsh cold outside in the Yukon? In the adventure book, The Call of the Wild written by Jack London, dog named Buck is a dog from the sunny state of California, but after being abducted, is taken to the Yukon.Then, after being taught the harsh law of club and fang, Buck begins to regress and adapt to the cold and brutal North land. Buck passes through many different masters, and has pulled many sleds, but he finds himself in love with John Thornton, and at the same time he is tempted by becoming a savage beast and finally answers the call of the wild. The theme the power of the primitive is expressed many times while Buck lives in the North land and becomes a savage beast.

Just like a wolf, Buck begins to send a long howl to the stars, just as his ancestors did. “And when, on the still, cold nights, he pointed his nose at a star and howled long and wolf like, it was his ancestors, dead and dust, pointing nose at a star and howling down through the centuries and through him” (London 26). This quote explains how Buck began to howl, showing that he has regressed from being a domestic pet to a wild wolf-like dog. Before when Buck was a pet he didn’t howl or have the urge to, but once exposed to the North land, Buck is influenced to act more like a savage