“The Call of the Wild” is a touching novel about a great friendship between a dog and a human. The novel follows up the life of the dog Buck since he lived in sunny California all the way until the day he was kidnapped and taken to Alaska. He experienced a hard life there and then he met John who took care of him with great tenderness while not expecting anything in return. Buck was disappointed by everything, and then he went back to the wilderness where he belonged.
The novel carries a high moral, and the author tells us through it that we should never back down because then we will experience the disappointment of failure. We should know how to adjust to the situations we find ourselves in and know that everywhere there are different laws.
“The Call of the Wild” is the best work written by Jack London. It easy to read, exciting and with every page you can’t wait to see what will happen.
It was the time of the great golden fever in the USA, and the plot was settled in the 19 century. We can see how the poor people lived while they went to look for happiness on the cold North. They expected to find salvation from hunger and poverty, but all they found were hard life conditions and death. Through the dog Buck, the author told us his thoughts about the civilization and progress it made.
Time: 19th century
Buck was a dog who lived a calm, peaceful and cheerful life in a big house. He lived in the sunny California, and the house carried the name of Judge Miller. Buck was guarding the house and his people, and he enjoyed it. He was strong and big with long hair.
One day a money thirsty servant took Buck and sold him to an unknown man. That John Doe decided to take him as far away from his home as possible. He was sold again, and his new owner was a government man named Francois, He carried mail to the distant places like Alaska.
Buck saw snow for the first time in his life, but he also encountered hard life conditions. He spent his days pulling the sleigh with the other dogs and delivering mail. Buck was recognized for his bravery, so he was the leader of the dogs. Then he learned the first lesson that was important for him to survive – it was never to fall because if he did that, he would get torn apart by the other dogs.
After some time he got some new owners. They were Charles, Hal, and Mercedes that also owned sleigh but they had no experience with that job. They also refused to take any advice from other people and did not take care of their dogs. They tortured them, and that was the reason why they had fewer dogs each day. Hal has been particularly brutal to their dogs.
One day the sleigh stopped in front of John’s cabin. Buck was tired, and he felt horrible. After a few punches by his owners, he decided he won’t get up. John couldn’t stand to watch Hal beating Buck up, so he decided to confront him. Hal pulled out a knife and headed towards John. In the end, John managed to take the knife away.
The sleigh moved forward but without Buck. John warned him that the ice was thin at this time of year but Hal refused to listen to him, and as a result, they all drowned in the river when the ice broke.
Buck stayed with John. It was the beginning of a great friendship. John took care of the dog, washed him and kept him safe to what the dog responded with loyalty and love. Once Buck even saved John from a river and on another occasion, John earned 1.600 dollars thanks to Buck.
John decided to put the money to good use. He bought some equipment that was necessary for digging up gold. They went to the wilderness in search of gold. They found it and while they were working the dogs were resting. Buck then felt the call of the wild. He felt something that pulled him deeper and deeper into the forest. He felt an urge that distanced him more and more from his owner John who he loved more than anything.
He met a wolf in the forest and then he felt the urge to hunt, so he killed a moose.
While Buck was in the forest, John was attacked by the Indians, and he was killed. When he came back, Buck attacked the Indians, and they ran away.
After John’s death Buck was left alone and he was very sad. A pack of wolfs came to the lake. After a struggle Buck joined them, came back to his roots and the nature he came out of. He was completely free. The legend of a dog that look like a wolf, who came to the cabin to grieve was told years after.
Characters: Buck, John, Francois, Hal, Charles, Mercedes…
Buck – the hero of the story. All of the events are about him. Through the story, we can meet him in whole because the author describes his behavior, feelings, and thoughts. He is a strong and big dog, with big eyes and broad chest. He is a loyal friend who lived a pleasant life in California. He was strong, and his hair was thick and long. After he had been stolen from his owners, he had to adapt to a new life and new conditions. He had to learn that it is forbidden to fall because the other dogs would tear him apart and also he had to learn that only the strongest survive. He was able to smell the wind coming. When there was a fight, he was ready to fight to the death. He loved the people who treated him right. He felt real love towards John who was a true friend to him. On one occasion he saved his life and when he saw that John was dead he was devastated and went on living in the wilderness.
John – he is the true example that the friendship between a dog and his owner is indeed possible. He is a tall man with brown hair. He had experience in search of gold, and he was Buck’s protector. Their love was permanent and without a limit. His respect towards animals was big, and that’s why they loved him.
Francois – he was a strict man who often used his whip. He couldn’t stand injustice, and when a dog stole Buck’s food on a journey, he immediately punished him. Buck respected him, and he took care of him. When Buck’s paws were freezing, he rubbed him to make them warm, and he even made small boots for him. Sometimes he would hit Buck, but despite that they shared a mutual respect.
Hal, Charles, Mercedes – they have a similar character so they can be analyzed like one. The author made fun of them by pointing out how little civilization meant in the wilderness. They came there and had no experience, so they made a mistake by mistake. In the end, they fought a lot and blamed each other for their failures. They died by drowning in a river. Charles was a middle-aged man with blond hair and mustaches. Hal was a 20 years old young man, and he always carried a revolver and a knife around. Mercedes was beautiful but a spoiled woman that was good for nothing.
Jack London Biography
Jack London was born in 1876. in San Francisco. His full name was John Griffith London. He was an American writer famous for the fact that he never finished school.
In his youth, he had a lot of different jobs such as a sailor, ice deliverer and he was even a gold hunter. His great passion were journeys.
He studied Marx, Darwin, and Nietzsche and dreamed about a revolution. He worked as a war informer during the Japanese – Russian war.
After he had got sick, he moved back to Oakland, and he died in 1916 in Glen Ellen.
He was rebellious, had a strong personality and never settled with the circumstances he lived in. He always tried to overcome them with the power of will.
He wrote novels, stories and he published about 50 books.
His most famous works are “The Sea Wolf”, “White Fang”, “The Valley of the Moon”, “The Iron Heel”, “A Sun of the Sun” and much more.
Book reports from Jack London