John Thornton From The Call Of The Wild

The definition of ideal is “satisfying one’s conception of what is perfect; most suitable.” In Jack London’s most prominent novel The Call of the Wild, many debate whether or not John Thornton is an ideal master for Buck. Basically, in The Call of the Wild, Buck, a dog from the Santa Clara Valley, is plucked from civilization and taken to the frigid climates of Alaska to become a sled dog. As Buck moves from owner to owner, he eventually earns his role as the leader of the sled team, and his instincts gradually reawaken. As leader, Buck also discovers how to balance his reasonable and instinctive sides. Eventually, he is saved by John Thornton from his cruel owners; Buck develops a strong feeling of love for his savior. Later, John Thornton,

Therefore, John Thornton is the ideal master for Buck because he allows Buck to experience true love and molds him into the dog he was destined to become. John Thornton is the ideal master for Buck because he gives Buck the opportunity to feel true love for the first time, which is exactly what Buck needed. John Thornton saves Buck in a time where he was near death and in poor condition; as a result, Buck first feels unconditional love and gratitude for John Thornton. Specifically, Buck believed that “Love, genuine passionate love was his for the first time.This man had saved his life, which was something; but, further, he was the ideal master” (London 71). This evidence displays that John Thornton provides Buck with the opportunity to feel authentic love for the first time because their relationship was not forced, and the two loved each other because of their actions, which made them ideal for each other as well. Another example of Buck feeling true love for his ideal master is after they separate from each other for a period of time. During this time, John Thornton mines for gold at the camp, and Buck returns to his natural

licking his face, biting his hand— ‘playing the general tom-fool,’ as John Thornton characterized it, the while he shook Buck back and forth and cursed him lovingly” (London). While some may claim that John Thornton’s love for Buck disappears as he mines for gold and digs his own grave simultaneously, the feeling of affection between the two never truly vanishes because Buck is exhilarated to reunite with his master, and John Thornton reciprocates this action. In fact, for the next few days, Buck stays at camp with his master and does not leave Thornton “out of his sight” (London 93). To sum up, one reason John Thronton is Buck’s ideal master is because of the opportunity he gives Buck to feel true and unwavering love for the first time in his life. Another reason why John Thornton is the ideal master for Buck is because of the way he allows Buck to transform into his destiny. 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