Call Of The Wild Survival Essay

Darwin’s Theory of “Survival of the Fittest” in Jack London 's Call of the Wild

The novel Call of the Wild by Jack London chronicles the journey of a dog named Buck who is kidnapped, shipped up to the Klondike, and used as a sled dog during the Alaskan gold Rush. The grisly conditions and substandard treatment that Buck must endure during this trying ordeal greatly contrasts to the life of luxury that he had grown accustomed to while living in luxury on a manor in Santa Clara, California. This drastic change of environment forces Buck make a choice between being invariable in his ways and facing a harsh death, or adapting to his surroundings to ensure survival. As conditions get more and more severe, Buck decides upon the latter, and begins to adjust by inheriting the survival skills of his ancestors. The character Buck in London’s Call of the Wild is the embodiment of Charles Darwin’s theory of “survival of the fittest” by illustrating the

While making this trek, he befriends a female dog named Curly who is described as a “good natured Newfoundland.” Shorty afterward, Curly “in her friendly way, made advances to a husky dog the size of a full-grown wolf...There was no warning, only a leap and in like a flash...Curly’s face was ripped open from eye to jaw.” Thereafter, a pack of wolves attacked Curly, and her attempts to fend them off served futile. The dog’s gruesome death haunts Buck in the beginning and reminds him that this rugged new environment, as well as the other creatures that inhabit it, are rugged and unforgiving. As London clarifies “The scene often came back to Buck to trouble him in his sleep. So that was the way. No fairplay. Once down, that was the end of you.” In order to ensure survival, Buck realizes he must be keen of his surroundings, wary, and