October 1st Period E1 Call of the Wild Theme Project “…he may be seen running at the head of the pack through the pale moonlight or glimmering borealis, leaping gigantic above his fellows, his great throat a-bellow as he sings a song of the younger world, which is the song of the pack. ” How did Buck, an ordinary domestic dog living in the sun-kissed Santa Clara valley in California, go from being the favored of a wealthy judge, to the head of the wolf pack in eastern Alaska? Buck makes many enemies along the way, but he also makes friend that will always have an impact on him.
Learns lessons he would need to know to survive this treacherous land. Even finds out what it’s like to live in the foot-steps of his ancestors, and Buck loves every minute of it. He loves the feel of being an un-domestic wolf in the wild. All he has to do; is heed the Call of the Wild. Buck matures greatly in chapter one. He learned that humans were to be trusted, but also respected. That is the law of club that the man in the red sweater taught Buck before selling him to Perrault and Francois. It’s a very important lesson in this chapter.
Buck’s life changes gradually here; Manuel, the gambling grounds keeper, sells Buck to men who are traveling up North for the Arctic gold rush, Buck is starved for days before meeting the man in the red sweater, who beats Buck with a club to show that man must be obeyed and respected, then gives Buck food and water to show him that man can also be trusted. This is the law of club that Buck will live by during his life in Alaska. Chapter two, The Law of Club and Fang, is precisely what the name states.
Buck learns about the law of club and fang. But he also learns of his bitter hatred towards fellow sled dog, Spitz, when he laughs at the death of another dog, Curly, who was maimed by other huskies. Life is fairly tough in the Northland for Buck. He is expected to learn the rules of sledding fast, and he takes up to that is record time. Once a mistake is made, he knows how to keep it from happening again. All the laws of the North are hurling themselves at Buck, expecting nothing less than excellence. The law of club nd fang has deeply embedded itself into Bucks brain, taunting him with nightmares of experience; “If you fall, you die. ” It has taken these words and paired them with Curly’s death as a reminder to Buck of what must be done. What must be done to survive. In this chapter it becomes apparent that Spitz shares in his hatred towards Buck, so, after a good while of trying to avoid it, Buck gives Spitz just what he wants; a fight. Bucks personality is gradually changing, also. He is growing out of the domestic dog that he once was and has become more like the wolf.
During this chapter, Buck’s character change is apparent when he starts challenging Spitz’s authority, and gets the other sled dogs to do so as well. Soon, a ruckus arises over the camp when Buck and Spitz have at each other. Just when Buck looks to be defeated, he cunningly tricks Spitz and takes his position as dominant primordial beast. Here, is where a lot of the lessons pile on Buck. While being lead dog, Buck learns how to gain everyone’s respect as the head dog. Then, when he is again sold to another owner, he gains the exact same respect from the fifty other dogs there.
He matures greatly as leader and enjoys what he does, but he can’t help but want something more. Something else. While working as a mail dog, Dave, one of the dogs from Bucks previous job whom is very proud of his work, gets internal injuries and can no longer pull a sled. He is devastated when they try to cut him out of the traces so they let him work for as long as he can bear it. Then they let him go, putting an end to his misery. From Dave, Buck learns that everything, everyone, has a limit, that nothing can ever really last forever.
In this chapter, Buck is introduced to yet another set of owners. Charles, Hal, and Mercedes aren’t what would cut for working people. Actually, they would be the complete opposite. They are foolish, daft, lazy, and a very important part of Bucks growth in this book. From them Buck learns that discipline was never given upon him in the past because of cruelty, it was because past owners never would have tolerated such disorder as these three. They were cruel to the dogs to allow little rest and hoarding their food.
The group comes up to the camp of John Thornton soon and they are but a memory to Buck; after the abuse that Hal commits to Buck when he refuses to move from his resting place. Thornton steps in and saves Buck from Hal’s cruel whip and club. Hal stubbornly pulls his sister and brother-in-law along the path, against Thornton’s advice. They disappear under the ice as soon as they set foot on the frozen river, leaving Buck in the care of John Thornton. This chapter is incredibly important to Bucks maturity. This chapter is where Buck expresses his love for John is many ways.
Buck realizes, what with all the different owners he has had, he has never felt love to anyone. None until John Thornton. When Buck loves John, he means to even jump off a cliff for him, his love is so strong. His trust in the man so sure. In fact, Buck saved John from a raging river at the risk of his own life. His love for John goes completely the length of his heart, is the only way to describe it. In this chapter, Buck is compelled more than ever to answer to the call of the wild, but does not want to break ties to the owner whom he loves so dearly.
He cannot leave John, even if he wanted to. His love is to deeply embedded into the both of them. That is until, while Buck is stalking a moose, John and his team of few dogs and comrades are killed by the Yee-hats, a native to Alaska. Buck continues to hunt, unknowing of what awaits him at camp. When he does make it back to camp, he finds the remains of the Yee-hats good work done. He also finds lingering members of the tribes and manages to kill score of them. After that, Buck can’t help to feel pride in the mixture of devastation over loosing John.
He had killed man! The top hunter, the ultimate prey! This brings Buck to stand where he belongs; at the top of the pack. The lead in the group of wolves. The legend carried from generation to generation. The wolf that never forgot where it belongs, or who got him there. The story of Buck never fails to warm the heart and entice you with life lessons told in a way you’d never forget. Buck learns that you need to do what you really want to do in life, to follow your instincts, and to be the best you can be.
He knows how to life his life; the way he wants to live it. He learned that if you fall, you can just pick yourself right back up again. He learned that love is both valuable and dangerous. That is must not be misused because of consequences. But most of all; he learned to never give up. That if there is something out there that you want to do, don’t let anything get in the way of it. He followed his dream of being a wolf as soon as John died because there was nothing holding him back anymore. He knew that it was time for him to become what he was meant to be.