Kitiny
10-21-2006, 01:41 AM
My opinion on the book is quite a strong one. We are first introduced to Buck as the great dog - loyal, strong, and protective - as seen domesticated in everyday life. But he is more than that, as is every dog, as we see him not transform - but revert back to natural instincts as he truly responds to his call to the wild. We watch as he overcomes obstacles of both physical and mental exertion to his farthest limits and beyond, as he first learns the law of club and fang and as he finally conquers Spitz. Through rough but skilled hands of his first owners, to the incompetence of a group of three, and then finally, into the care of the loving John Thornton. John seems to be, metaphorically, the link between man and wolf, back to the first man taming a wild wolf all those hundreds of years ago. These ancient ties are revived in them both, as the story tells of Buck's internal struggle of fierce loyalty and love for John and his returning and natural desire for the wild conflicting with each other. Although in the end these ties are broken as John dies a tragic death, the readers get a sense of closure and understanding as Buck finally resides where he was always meant to be: in the heart, and call of the wild.