FREE ESSAY ON CALL OF THE WILD

CALL OF THE WILD

Call of the Wild Jack London's thrilling epic tale of adventure and bravery, through the
eyes of a part St. Bernard, part German Shepherd named Buck. Our story opens with the
author describing the lifestyle of this pampered dog on the premises of his master's
home, Judge Miller, in the Santa Clara valley. John London describes a particular gold
rush that transpired in 1897 and it was named the Klondike gold rush. Very early in the
story line, Buck is kidnapped by Manuel, one of the gardener's helpers, who's major
weakness was gambling. Buck was sold to two men named Francois and Perrault. Buck was
shipped to Alaska to serve as a sled dog during the Klondike gold rush. One of my
favorite lines in the book is where John London writes; Buck's first day ashore was like
a nightmare. Every hour was filled with shock and surprise. You can see that he is trying
to convey how different his new life is now. Buck was placed among a pack of savage
husky, wolf-like dogs. (Billie, Joe, Sol-leks, Dave, Spitz and Curly are just to name a
few. After Buck had completed his wearisome labor his body had become feeble and weak.
(Injuries also added to this dilemma later on.) The other savage animals that Buck is
placed with, live by only one rule, the law of club and fang. Buck is placed in several
predicaments where he must defend himself against the other savage animals and he is
disciplined for it. Buck loved his 'master', John Thorton who saved Buck's life from Hal,
Buck's master, prior to this event. Following his departure, Buck finds himself in the
wild, trusting and depending on his primal instincts. Learning how to pursue his food is
but one of the many milestones in the book that Buck must overcome. (Jack London
describes how Buck hunted down a rabbit for food. Buck encountered many hazardous
situations including almost being viciously attacked by a pack of wolves, before proving
himself worthy of being able to defend himself to them. Having done this, Buck then
becomes one of the 'pack'. He learns about his ancestry and how to answer the call of the
wild. At the beginning of this story Buck lived quite a pampered life, however, an
incident would change his life forever. Buck rediscovered himself, his life and the
world.