Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
the call of the wild summary
book review call of the wild
theory of survival of the fittest
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: the call of the wild summary
n the Call of the Wild a major theme was the idea of "survival of the fittest". This theme really describes what the book, Call of the Wild is about because dogs are being sold to be sled dogs, so people can use them as transportation for the gold rush in the Klondike. Buck was one of these dogs and he experienced many things on this journey with meeting new dogs and having new owners, all the while being pushed to be a sled dog even in the harshest of conditions. The dogs were not the only ones that has the idea of "survival of the fittest," it was also the humans and people in this book experiencing it. In this essay you will see the meaning of the idea "survival of the fittest," and the people it affects, along with who succeeded, and who didn't.
"Survival of the fittest" can mean lots of things, but one of the most important meanings is how the dogs and people try to survive using strategies and experience, to be able to survive through the harsh conditions of the wild. The people and dogs that are successful, are the ones that know and sense danger, and the ones that are careful and hardworking at the same time. Buck, for
…show more content…
Buck, after learning from Pike how to steal food, mimicked him in doing so. This proves that Buck was smart on being able to pick up on how to survive, but it also shows what needs to happen for survival. Buck also knew how to suck water from ice, sense the weather, and things like that which helped him in the long run. Also with being a sled dog, it's important to be knowledgeable about the land, be able to be a good leader, and to be able to fight other dogs and people in order to help yourself. Buck fought to be a lead dog after Spike died. Buck didn't give up until he was the lead dog. He knew that's what he was meant to do .Buck was all of these things which is why he was a very successful sled
John Thornton is challenged with a bet of $1,600 that Buck cannot pull a 1,000 pound sled 100 yards. Because it normally took ten dogs to pull a sled of that size, the chance of Buck winning the bet was very slim. “He had caught the contagion of excitement, and he felt that in some way he must do a great thing for John Thornton” (93). There were many men who believed that Buck could not pull such a load, but because of his courage and strength like true heroes posses, he persevered and he pulled the sled 100 yards. Buck could have easily given up because the prize of winning had no benefit for him, but because he wasn’t a barbaric beast, he did it for his master. He accomplished a feat many dogs can not even come close to doing, and this is why Buck is actually a true
Buck undertook the mission of learning how to survive in the wild. Buck, a domesticated dog, was stolen and forced into the Klondike. He had to learn how to survive so he adapted by following the law of Club and Fang. He respected
After an expedition into the North Buck discovers his new location and temporary home. Once arrived buck rapidly accommodates to his new environment. Buck masters many skills that are mandatory to survive in his new habitat. Buck discovers that he can rely on his animal instinct and basic intellect to acquire the essentials to exist in the tundra. One of the most significant concepts learned by Buck is that while being attacked his must take an offense to survive. Another essential concept Buck grasps is that he must be at constant alert and that his size makes him inferior to others. Buck’s quick adaptations assist in his survival.
Jack London’s classic novel, Call of the Wild, published in 1903, has been subject to censorship attempts. The most notable attempts of censorship are centered in Nazi Germany, Italy, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. The banning of Call of the Wild in these places has been for varying reasons but the predominant reason behind all the attempts is because of “[Jack London’s] socialist sympathies.”1 However, “violent portrayals [have also] led to the book’s banning”2 in different places other than Nazi Germany, Italy, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union.
As can be seen, the critic Philo M. Blake, Jr.’s opinion of Jack London’s protagonists in the novel The Call of the Wild is not justified. Time and time again, from the incident at the bar, to winning the impossible bet, to risking his own life in the rushing rapids, Buck displayed noble qualities such as loyalty, bravery, and selflessness. In spite of rejecting the culture of civilization and being labeled a “beast” by many, Buck ideally reflects the spirit of true heroism through his courage, noble qualities, and exceptional
With bright eyes and a fascination for adventure, Chris McCandless was truly one in a million. Chris McCandless, the star of “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, stirs up powerful emotions in readers, leaving them divided into two camps. His rash behavior and defiance of society's norms can be seen as reckless and troublesome or as inspiration. Chris lived in a middle class household with parents who set him up to have a ‘successful’ future and live out his days as most people would. After high school he went to college, where he discovered his true adventurous soul. Chris was not the type of person to just become a lawyer and live in a nice house. He saw more to life than the conventional and average lifestyle of an American. Although it meant leaving behind his prior life, Chris found happiness in, “endlessly changing horizon(s)” (Krakauer, 57). Chris McCandless died twenty years ago, but he still is an inspiration today because he lived for his happiness.
In Alaska, Buck is sold to become a sled dog. Intelligent and hard working, he quickly learns to adapt to his new life. He becomes a good sled dog, working as part of the team; he also learns how to protect himself from the miserable cold, burrowing under the snow, and how to find food, stealing if necessary. He also learns he must always be alert, for there are dangers everywhere. Additionally, Buck learns the law of the whip, for if he does not obey the driver or do his fair share of pulling, he will be popped.
Arriving in the chilly North, Buck is amazed by the cruelty he sees around him. As soon as another dog from his ship, Curly, gets off the boat, a pack of huskies violently attacks and kills her. Watching her death, Buck vows never to let the same fate befall him. Buck becomes the property of Francois and Perrault, two mail carriers working for the Canadian government, and begins to adjust to life as a sled dog. He recovers the instincts of his wild ancestors: he learns to fight, scavenge for food, and sleep beneath the snow on winter nights. At the same time, he develops a fierce rivalry with Spitz, the lead dog in the team. One of their fights is broken up when a pack of wild dogs invades the camp, but Buck begins to undercut Spitz’s authority, and eventually the two dogs become involved in a major fight. Buck kills Spitz and takes his place as the lead dog.
Originally, Buck lived in the “Sun kissed Santa Clara Valley” before he was transported to the Yukon Territories, there he was going to experience something he never dreamed of. While Buck was living in Santa Clara, “He was not so large-- he weighed only one hundred forty pounds-- for his mother, Shep, had been a scotch Shepherd dog. Nevertheless, one hundred forty pounds, to which was added the dignity that comes of good living and universal respect, enabled him to carry himself in the right royal fashion”(London 22). Originally, Buck is an adored and satisfied pet to the Miller family. He was not muscular or powerful. He considers himself royalty and had a lot of eminence being apart of a family, only weighing one-hundred and forty pounds and he does not do much heavy lifting. All the animals at the Miller estate knew him and did not flout him. He never gets in their way and Buck only wants to help others. He has not developed the skills in leadership and fighting the cold, that would make him successful in the future. In the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley life was good for Buck, and it seems like nothing could ever go wrong. Enduringly, Physical changes and the skills that Buck has to attain throughout the novel, change depending on his surroundings. Buck’s body finally complied to his surroundings: “His development (or retrogression) was
“Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, is a very noteworthy story of a young man, Christopher McCandless, who tragically ventures alone into the wilderness. It should be pointed out that the story is quite original and the main character is full of contradictions. At any rate, it is quite difficult to understand his real motives that influenced his decision to abandon the civilized world and head for the wilderness where he turned to be unable to survive. This is why it is very important to define the major factors that forced the main character to take the fatal decision.
The novella The Call of the Wild is a story of Buck overcoming challenges while being thrown into the real world and learning new traits like persistence and resilience. Protagonist Buck is a colossal St Bernards cross Scotch shepherd dog, transforms from a humble house dog and then eventually returns to a primordial state as a best of the wild. Along the way he is faced with an endless array of challenges. London achieves this by portraying Buck’s change in character in a manner that explores and incorporates diverse motifs.
A quick learner, he adapts well to the sled dog life. His heritage also helped him become accustomed to the harsh Klondike climate. Some difficulties such as sore feet and a voracious appetite set him back at the beginning, but he speedily overcomes them. Buck goes through several masters and many thousands of miles. Along the way, he learns “The Law of Club and Fang”: never challenge a human that has a weapon, and once a fighting dog falls to the ground, roaming huskies quickly destroy it.
In doing so, he creates a character that acts like an animal, but thinks like a man. His humanity is what allows him to survive under the rule of man. He understands his role as being inferior to man, but superior to the other dogs. Buck learns that the men and dogs around him “knew no law but the law of club and fang” (London 15). Therefore, Buck adapts and abides by this law, creating a place for himself in the social hierarchy of the Northland. “The ability to keep his mental strength, even when his physical energy was sapped, is one thing that separates Buck from the other dogs” (Kumin 103). Although all dogs are the heroes in The Call of the Wild, Buck connects the most with the reader. As the story is told through his perspective, the reader empathizes with Buck more than the other dogs. The mental strength that Kumin references in the above quote stems from Buck’s human characteristics. Buck is a character that exemplifies the traits of all men, including Jack London himself. His human spirit makes this connection possible, and creates a bond between Buck and the
Chris McCandless and Buck serve as examples of the archetype of the wild through their experiences of leaving where they feel most comfortable and answering the call of the wild. They show that each experience is inimitable because the wild is unique to every individual. For Buck, the wild is a place outside of civilization and his dependence on man, where the external threats of nature exist and he must prove himself as a true animal with instincts for survival. In McCandless' case, the place outside of civilization is actually an escape from his fears because the wild for him is in relationships, where the threat of intimacy exists and he must learn to trust others for happiness. This is because for each of us, the wild is what we fear, a place outside of our comfort zone and, as McCandless' experience shows, not necessarily a physical place. To render to the call of the wild we must leave everything that makes us feel protected, and we must make ourselves completely vulnerable to the wild. McCandless and Buck show that in order to successfully respond to the call of the wild we must relinquish control and drop our guards, until ultimately the fear subsides and we find peace with ourselves as well as with our environments.
First, we're going to talk about Buck's strength through the things that he faces and how he adapts to the circumstances. Being that Buck's character doesn't have any speaking parts one get a true sense of how Buck feels through the imagery throughout the story As the story begins we meet Buck, who is a spoiled, carefree and loved pet to Judge Miller in the "sun-kissed" Santa Clara val...