Call Of The Wild Law Of Club And Fang Quotes

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Betta Nies
Ms. Switzer
14 November, 2017 CALL OF THE WILD ESSAY PROMPT 1
In the novel Call of the Wild, “The Law of Club and Fang” plays a massive role in Buck’s greuling shaping as a sled dog, and it teaches him the fundamentals of surviving the harsh, Northern environment.
Never before beaten, scolded, or reprimanded in his short life, Buck is shocked and outraged when a man in a red sweater disciplines him with a club. This is the first time he is exposed to the brutal side of the relationship between man and dog. “He had never been struck by a club before in
His life, and did not understand.” (pg 14) Our canine subject sees that he is no match for the bludgeon and adapts his comportment accordingly to avoid being beaten. This first lesson demonstrates the ‘Club part’ of “The Law of Club and Fang”; and it was his first revelation to the primitive law of the north. This is his …show more content…

This brutal event signifies the ‘Fang Part’ of the Law, and
Buck understands the importance of defending oneself because in the harsh, cold, northern environment, there is no fairplay or justice. “Once down, that was the end of you.” (pg 23) Civility doesn’t prevail in the wilderness, and Buck learns to rely on his instincts as well as physical abilities to survive.
As soon as Buck makes his first larceny and steals a chunk of bacon, it marks and indicates him as fit to endure the rough Northland atmosphere. This event demonstrates how property and belongings can no longer be respected as they were in the Southland’s “Law of Love and Fellowship”.
Buck comprehends that practices are extremely different in the North and the South and adjusts accordingly. He begins to act not on reason, but on instinct. He develops