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Jack London's Life In 'The Call Of The Wild'

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Does an author's life affect how he writes? Typically authors insert their own experiences into their works.For example, Jack London allowed his experiences to influence his writings. Throughout his life Jack London experienced many hardships which influenced the theme of survival in his book The Call of the Wild. To start, Jack London's life was filled with many obstacles even from a young age. Jack London, born in San Francisco California on January 12, 1876 to Flora Wellman and William Henry Chaney(“Jack London”1). Later, his father left and his mother remarried John London. During his childhood, London struggled to survive along with his two sisters. Afterward, he attended Oakland High school and the University of California at Berkeley. …show more content…

Similar to his creator, a dog named Buck found many obstacles in his journey. Including being taken from his home to work as a sled dog. While living as a sled dog he learned the law of the Club and Fang so that he can be his own master. Later, Buck is faced with many challenges which he overcomes and transforms into the dominant and primordial beast. To explain, the law of the Club and Fang is “The chain of command comprised of men with clubs; the lead dogs who have achieved mastery by wounding or killing other dogs who challenge them’ and the other dogs who do most of the work”(Napierkowski and Stanley 47). Buck experienced these laws when kidnapped and beaten by the Man in the Red Sweater , and when he watched his friend get torn to shreds (Buckwalter 73,71). Buck let himself be taught by these experiences so that he can ascend to the position of the dominant primordial beast (69). During his ascension, his morals faded to allow him to steal and survive. As well as, embracing his instincts ,which saved him from certain death no less than two times, and this allowed him to become the dominant primordial beast. In the end Buck became his own master by defeating his last obstacle man(66). In doing these things, Buck has become the enforcer of the law of the Club and

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In addition, Buck has also encountered mental changes. Ounce he killed the leader of the group, Spitz, he then became the leader. By giving orders, and showing the power that he possesses, buck started to adapt to his new life in a way that he started to evolve into being a beast in the wild. Killing Spitz and his strong influence that buck have over the others dogs, started to strongly change bucks mental state as this quote emphasizes “As Spitz dissipated from view. Buck stood and looked on, the successful champion, the dominant primordial beast who had made his kill and found it good.”

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The Grapes of Wrath is the story of the Joads, a family of farmers who, like many other families during the great depression, were forced from their land by landowners and banks. Throughout the story, the major theme that is seen consistently is discrimination. Tom Joad, the main character of the film, is released from jail on probation to find that his family is gone, and his land and home are completely vacant. Due to the drought and poor farming conditions in Oklahoma during the 1930’s, otherwise known as a region inside the “Dust Bowl”, the Joads only option was to head west to California which they were told was rich with opportunity and work. So, they travel across the nation on route 66, making several stops along the way, witnessing instances of both discrimination and generosity.

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Buck had to get into a fight. He had to kill another dog; his world had become much harsher. Buck being pulled into the harsh world by being kidnapped and then having to fight in it shows how harsh his world has

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How Does Jack London Present Loss In The Call Of The Wild

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The suddenness and violence of his capture further emphasize the loss and trauma he experiences. As Buck adapts to his new life as a sled dog, he also experiences the loss of his identity as a domesticated pet. He learns to tap into his primal instincts and becomes more like a wild animal than a domesticated one. This loss of identity is exemplified in Chapter 3, where Buck fights fiercely with the other sled dogs: "He was sounding the deeps of his nature, and of the parts of his nature that were deeper than he, going back into the womb of Time. He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars and over the face of dead matter that did not move" (London

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How Does Buck Change Throughout The Call Of The Wild

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Buck had strong natural instincts; "the dominant beast was strong in him Once he was forced to learn to survive in the new order, his dead instincts became alive again". Buck's sight and scent became remarkably keen;his hearing developed acuteness. The need to survive awakened and the old tricks which they had stamped into the heredity of the breed;came to him without effort or discovery taken to a man in a red sweater, the man with the club is king, he's in control. Buck was constantly lunging and fighting with the man in the club. But Buck knew he could never win.

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(London 107). Buck’s perseverance helped him survive in order to meet his goal of roaming free. After Buck finally meets his goal he is able to understand what life truly is about, happiness. Even if Buck’s goals changed throughout the story his final goal was where he least expected it to which allowed him to take all of the things he learned throughout his experiences and he was able to apply them to his ultimate goal. Overall, even through tough times and hardships Buck was able to prove that to pursue a goal, you have to work for it even if you didn't know that goal

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Buck has finally learned the “Law of the club and fang”. This shows that he realized he can’t defeat any cruel man with a club. Soon then his hate for him grew and the man became his

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To begin, Jack was born to William Henry and Flora Wellman in San Francisco on January 12, 1876 (“Jack London” 1). Jack’s dad left early on, and Jack received his last name from his stepfather, John London. Unfortunately, money cultivated countless challenges for Jack. As a result, London worked numerous jobs, beginning at a prepubescent age.

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The man uses brute force to hurt Buck only to teach him who is in control. The text on page 11 even reads “ But the man, shifting the club from right to left, coolly caught him by the under jaw, at the same time wrenching downward and backward. Buck described a complete circle in the air, and half of another, then crashed to the ground on his head and chest.” This text shows how the man beats the dog with a club. Therefore this also illustrates the theme greed and power can lead to being neglectful and unfair to animals.

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“Faithfulness and devotion, things born of fire and roof, were his; yet he retained his wildness and wiliness. He was a thing of the wild, come in from the wild to sit by John Thornton’s fire, rather than a dog of the soft Southland stamped with the marks of generations.” (London 76). Buck became a killer, hunting and running with the

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In Call of the Wild, Buck has to persevere through difficult times. He is taken by

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Because of Buck’s ability to adapt to challenging situations with ease, it was inevitable that he would become a beast with more dominance than wild animals. John Thornton realizes this attribute of Buck and does not stop him when his instincts call him into the

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As Jim Rohn once said, “It is not what happens that determines the major part of your future... it is what you do about what happens that counts.” Buck, the main character in the novel The Call of the Wild, is a victim of life 's many unexpected obstacles. From domesticated and tamed to wild and primitive, the transformation of Buck from beginning to end is a result of nature and nurture combined. Nature, his genetic makeup, proves to be the most dominant in his development of becoming a free creature of the wilderness.

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As Buck continues to explore his new world he becomes more confident in his abilities. For example, when he is attacked by a pack of wild dogs, Buck does not stand down. Instead, he stands his ground and fights back. The narrator says “he saw the other dogs surrounding him, but he did not see them as they were. They were merely sensations, impressions, that passed into his consciousness and out again”(79).

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Buck is a dog from Santa Clara Valley, a dog who lived in a huge house. He was the king of the property and was petted, fed well and treated like a loved and cherished dog. Buck was living a pampered life, where he had everything he want until the day where he was stolen, sold, and brought to an unknown environment. Buck has went through a change where he had to adapt quickly for survival. A place where he had to steal to eat, defend himself in order to survive.

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