FREE ESSAY ON CALL OF THE WILD

CALL OF THE WILD

Call of the Wild
Jack London's thrilling epic tale of adventure and bravery, through the eyes of a part
St. Bernard, part German Shepherd named Buck. Our story opens with the author describing
the lifestyle of this pampered dog on the premises of his master's home, Judge Miller, in
the Santa Clara valley. John London describes a particular gold rush that transpired in
1897 and it was named the Klondike gold rush. 
Very early in the story line, Buck is kidnapped by Manuel, one of the gardener's helpers,
who's major weakness was gambling. Buck was sold to two men named Francois and Perrault.
Buck was shipped to Alaska to serve as a sled dog during the Klondike gold rush. One of
my favorite lines in the book is where John London writes; Buck's first day ashore was
like a nightmare. Every hour was filled with shock and surprise. (Page 12) You can see
that he is trying to convey how different his new life is now. Buck was placed among a
pack of savage husky, wolf-like dogs. (Billie, Joe, Sol-leks, Dave, Spitz and Curly are
just to name a few. After Buck had completed his wearisome labor his body had become
feeble and weak. (Injuries also added to this dilemma later on.) The other savage animals
that Buck is placed with, live by only one rule, the law of club and fang. Buck is placed
in several predicaments where he must defend himself against the other savage animals and
he is disciplined for it. Buck loved his 'master', John Thorton who saved Buck's life
from Hal, Buck's master, prior to this event.
Following his departure, Buck finds himself in the wild, trusting and depending on his
primal instincts. Learning how to pursue his food is but one of the many milestones in
the book that Buck must overcome. (Jack London describes how Buck hunted down a rabbit
for food. Buck encountered many hazardous situations including almost being viciously
attacked by a pack of wolves, before proving himself worthy of being able to defend
himself to them. Having done this, Buck then becomes one of the 'pack'. He learns about
his ancestry and how to answer the call of the wild. 
At the beginning of this story Buck lived quite a pampered life, however, an incident
would change his life forever. Buck rediscovered himself, his life and the world.