Call of The Wild
Summer reading 2014
Buck
The Call Of The Wild is told from a perspective of an unknown 3rd person point of view. The recollections of what happens in the book are straight from Buck.What he experiences what he's been through all from his angle. As to call him the main charecter of the book is not true but Buck is the only one who's past we know a little bit about and London puts exsquisite detail in the human qualities of the protagonist allowing us to emphazie with the animal. Buck is more than just a creature of instinct he has a unique sense of love shame justice and wonder. Buck goes from sunny easy living to being thrust into a world where the next day isnt promised.Buck has to abide by the rules of club and fang obey his new masters he learend this by a not so good encounter with a club leaving with some bruises and some battle scars. But he does not let that break him he becomes the leader of his pack it was not an easy rise but when he got there there had been no such a leader as him ever before.
Theme
The Call Of The Wild is a story of transition in which the old more civilized ,moral Buck must adjust to the brutal realities of life in the frosty north. Kill or be killed is the only mentality of Buck and the rest of the sled dogs. Buck realizes as soon as he steps off the boat only to witness the graphic death of his friend curly that this new world is nothing to laugh about. The wild is a unrelenting harsh world where only the strong survive. But London doesnt want to make the struggle for survival the central theme of his novel instead his protagonist struggles toward a higher goal mastery. We see this struggle particulary in Bucks conflict with Spitz and his determenation to become lead dog on Francios and Perrualts team, at the end of the novel where he battles his way to leadership of the wolf pack. Buck does not only want to survive he wants to dominate.
Critique
I prasie this book call of the wild. It presents the story in a light that cannot be presented by anyone else but the animal. Jack London does a great job of presenting a vivid image in the readers mind. It puts you in the story not just like your reading it. It blast you into a whole other world that only the author can do. This book must have took a while it must have required hours of deep thought and jack taking some time to expeirnce the wild for himself.
Setting
The setting goes from a lazy kicked back lifestyle to being thrust into a lifestyle where tomorrow is not promised. Buck must learn to abide by the laws of the wild. If not he could be dead in the blink of an eye. Before maybe Buck might have sacrificed his life out of moral consederations but now buck abandons any such thought in order to live. Survival of the fittest is perfect for Buck and his new lifestyle. He learns that in order to live you have to find the will in the deepest part of your soul to find it and never let go. To let that be your fuel survive.