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The Wolf In Jack London's The Call Of The Wild

Decent Essays

Can dogs become wolves and act wolf-like? In the novel “The Call of the Wild”, by Jack London, there's a dog named Buck and he retrogressed tremendously. He was a pet that lived with a rich owner who gave him anything he wanted and he was able to do whatever he wanted. Then, Buck was stolen and was sold to be a sled dog in the Yukon. Buck has to learn how to hold his own with these dogs and learn how to survive. He went through many different owners and experienced many different things. Buck acted almost like he was a wolf and answered the Call of the Wild by joining a wolf pack. This shows that the book displayed a strong power of primitive instincts in Buck.
When Buck gets to the Yukon he does not know how to act. All of the other dogs know how to fight and hold their own. Buck however always lived like a king and was never around other dogs. He had to learn how to fight. He learned vicariously and watched other dogs. “He had never seen dogs fight as these wolfish creatures fought, and his first experience taught him an unforgettable lesson” (London 16). This shows that Buck learned he needed to be smart in a fight. This shows his primitive characteristics coming out because of the way he fights. He knew that he would encounter a fight sooner or later …show more content…

His name was John Thornton. Buck followed Thornton around everywhere. He would never leave him. Although one day there was a call from the wild and Buck answered it. “But in spite of this great love he bore John Thornton, which seemed to bespeak the soft, civilizing influences; the strain of the primitive, which the Northland had aroused in him, remained alive and active” (London 76). Buck went off and discovered a wolf pack that would take him in. This quote proves that Buck became wild. When John Thornton died, Buck was his own owner and he no longer had to follow Thornton around. He joined a wolf pack and was happy and

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