The Call of the Wild

[GuySizemore]

The title says it all. From the moment Buck is snatched up and sold he was thrust into a new life reminiscent to that of his ancestors. Though I could sit here and nit pick my way through the story, I like to think of Bucks physical journey as a conditioning. Everything from the first beating and the revelation of fang and claw, to the laborious work and hardships as a sled dog, he finds within himself a natural instinct that at first surprises him, but over time develops him. If it weren't for the harsh world in which he dwelt mixed with his own found ferocity he would not have survived. But as he was surviving he was growing and digressing. Like a kite takes to the wind, he tore through the layers of his being and found the dormant primordial beast that enveloped completely at the end.

During the finial chapters of the book Buck gives in to the pull of the forest. It takes him so vivaciously that it starts to become him. A real turning point comes when John T. is murdered. I have read some other threads and allot of you say it's with his decision to stay and hunt the moose, but it's just to premature. Admittedly though it was a major stepping stone. I believe he viewed the bull moose as a challenge, something that needed to be done to once and fore all lay down even the smallest of thoughts or doubts he may have had subconsciously. As the victor he takes time to bask in his glory. Remember the smaller moose he took down? He left it for sometime and chased a few wolverines away upon his return. But this his greatest kill he stayed next to it for the next couple of days. Basking.

But the love he had for John was the one thread that would always pull him back. And thus upon his arrival at camp and seeing what fate had befallen Thornton, that last thread of attachment snaps so surely and completely that he begins to savagely attack the Yeehat Indians. When it's over one of his last thoughts was he would never be afraid of man again, weary of club and arrow, but never afraid. And as the anger still boils within him and the finial match with the wolf pack Buck not so much as lets go rather than releases himself to the call. The call in which would run past his own mortality and through the voice of legend.

[Teresa Mary]

I am very uncomfortable with the sheer brutality and violence of this book, and with the notion that a dog (or a man) has to fight and struggle and kill with equal brutality and violence in order to triumph (or even to survive). This concept seems to be an accepted and common one in the American psyche -- it is seen in numerous American films, for instance -- and it is one I find utterly repulsive. I don't believe other cultures -- European, British, Asian, South American, Australian -- have such a concept in their national psyche. Yet it is so deeply rooted and unquestioned in American films and literature -- why is this?

[Milke]

omg it took me forever to find someone that has commented on this book. i loved it. it was a great book to read and it was full of interesting things. i liked all of the twists and turns in the plot. i liked the charectures. i loved how none of the charectures really conected

[Milke]

The call of the wild was an amazing story. it was written by Jack london. it was about this dog Buck and his journey all over the Yukon. Buck is taken away from his loving family in the beging of the story. Buck's family was a group of wild people. they were hunters and they were very loving.

When Buck gets taken away from his family in chapter two he is furious. he is placed in a large crate with no food or water. after a long trip acrost the ocean he is let out of the crate. when he is released he charges at the first person he sees. he gets hit repetitivley, in the head and ribs, with a club. he was taught not to figth a human with a club.

soon after Buck enters the Yukon he is trained to be a sled dog. he is treated porly. he reseved little food and water every day. he is beaten every day if he does something wrong. every day new dogs arive at the camp that he was braught to. when all the dogs finally arive they end up being all huskeys.

all of the dogs are different. you have sol-lecks for example a blind old huskey that stays to himself. then you have spitz the mean lead dog. then you have billy and joe. billy and joe are twin brothers. but they are as different as day and night. billy is a sweet dog but joe is evil and mean.

all of the dogs are strong and all of them were taken awat from their homes and placed in this horrible place. the dogs are forced to drag the sleds all over the yukon. buck finally finds a kind sled dog owner. his name is john thorton. thorton loves his dogs. he feeds them every day. he makes them warm and happy. he lets the dogs rest and feed wheneverb they want or need to. buck would often run away from thorton in the middle of the night so that he could explore the wild. but whenver buck ranaway he always came back because he loved thorton to much to stay away.

in the end of this story Buck becomes this big great dog that is very powerfull. he can act like a wolf and he is quick and very smart. he becomes amazing. BUT you will have to read the book in order to get the WHOLE story.

[Grit]

this book is a classic. Read it when I was younger and recently revisited it. It's gripping, and hard to stop reading once you begin. London does a masterful job of making us relate to an animal, I mean making an animal sympathetic main character.

As to the question about violence and brutality in American art...Perhaps it has to do with how the country was born?

[Joe1993]

Ahh this was such a good book. It's written in the sense that you don't want to put it down and it's quite a sad book I found as well.

[jlb4tlb]

I am very uncomfortable with the sheer brutality and violence of this book, and with the notion that a dog (or a man) has to fight and struggle and kill with equal brutality and violence in order to triumph (or even to survive). This concept seems to be an accepted and common one in the American psyche -- it is seen in numerous American films, for instance -- and it is one I find utterly repulsive. I don't believe other cultures -- European, British, Asian, South American, Australian -- have such a concept in their national psyche. Yet it is so deeply rooted and unquestioned in American films and literature -- why is this?

I wonder if this person ever heard of survival of the fittest.