Call of the Wild Free Essays

Buck undergoes as he adapts to both the cold, harsh land and the hard work the humans force him to do. London portrays a pet’s gradual evolution into a wild beast, ruled by nobody but himself. The amazing way in which Buck adapts and learns in his new environment is an important point to be discussed. We will write a custom essay sample on Call of the Wild or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"He must master or be mastered; while to show mercy was a weakness. Mercy did not exist in the primordial life. It was misunderstood for fear, and such misunderstandings lead to death. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, was the law; and this mandate, down out of the depths of Time, he obeyed. (Chapter 6). In the beginning of Buck’s life, he resides in the Santa Clara Valley, on Judge Miller’s farm. A large dog, he is the ruler of his domain, uncontested by other local dogs. Where he lives he is too comfortable and fears nothing. When he is forced into somewhere he doesn’t know with a whole set of rules, he isn’t such a leader now. Buck had strong natural instincts; â€Å"the dominant primordial beast was strong in himâ€Å". (Chapter 3). Once he was forced to learn to survive in the new order, â€Å"instincts long dead became alive again†. Buck’s â€Å"sight and scent became primordially keen†¦ is hearing developed†¦ acuteness†. The need to survive awakened â€Å"the old life within him, and the old tricks which they had stamped into the heredity of the breed†¦ came to him without effort or discovery† (Chapter2). These changes he showed through actions. I think it first started when he started hunting food, or stealing it. This is a small example, but I think this is what really started him off, because of this little action it lead to Buck being more comfortable with his inner instincts. The second example is when he attacks, and kills Spitz. Spitz was the leader dog, who was a beast himself. Buck, not wanting a threat from Spitz and thinking he was an endangerment is the rage that sent Buck to kill him. This is truly the primordial beast coming out of him, and a big part of his transformation. When Buck’s owners are being killed, and his camp is being burned he goes full out, in killing some of the Indians. If you look back to when Buck was just a house dog, he didn’t have any of these instincts in him. That was the final action that really showed Buck turing into a beast in the wild, from the domestic house dog he once was. To represent Buck’s changes I drew a picture of a dog similar looking to Buck, but with more wolf features. In the end of the story Buck does join a wolf pack, leaving him complete. The picture I drew also includes a dog paw print outside of the picture of him and scratches and a little blood. The picture represents Buck being stuck behind the domestic dog life and fighting and learning his way into a wild beast. The scratches represent him getting out from his old ways and his new ways, and the blood is included because him killing was a big part of him transforming also. How to cite Call of the Wild, Essay examples Call of the Wild Free Essays Buck is four human years old. Buck’s life on the farm in Santa Clara Valley was pleasurable and abundant. On the farm, the hierarchy consisted of Buck as the aristocrat and then all of the other kennel and house dogs. We will write a custom essay sample on Call of the Wild or any similar topic only for you Order Now Buck treated men he knew with trust and respect. 3. When Buck got to Seattle, Buck reacted violently towards all the men, who were trying to lead him out of the crate. Buck was very angry that the men put a rope around his neck and treated him cruelly, and wanted to show the men that he was stronger than them, and that they would never get another rope around his neck. At the hands of the man with the club, Buck lunged towards him, but the man struck Buck. After three strikes, Buck’s strength was gone, and he was defeated. This was his first lesson because he learned that he had no other choice but to obey the man with the club. 5. Buck was beaten, but not broken by the man with the club. This means that Buck’s spirit was beaten, because he had lost against the man. However, his spirit was not fully broken because he thought that encountering the man with the club was a valuable experience, for he learned that there was no way to beat a man with a club.  Buck’s impression of Francois and Perrault were fair, wise, and respectable men. Chapter 2 1. Curly naively approached and acted friendly to a husky. The husky ripped her face open, and as Curly fell to the ground, all the other wild dogs closed in and killed her. Buck was hated Spitz for laughing at Curly’s tragic death. Buck slept in a warm hole he dug in the snow. Buck ate fast because of his hunger and the other dogs who were trying to steal his food. Perrault’s job is a messenger of the Canadian Government, and he fed the sled dogs.Buck’s dignity was damaged when the man with the red sweater beat him, which caused him to develop the idea that the man would rule over him. Before, at the farm, Buck was the aristocrat, but now he saw that others are stronger than him, and in order to survive, Buck had to forget about his dignity from the past. The law of the club represents that a man protects themselves with clubs, and that nothing can go against a man with a club. The law of the fang shows that the wild dogs protect themselves and survive with their fangs. The difference between development and regression is that development is a process of changing and becoming greater than before, but regression is moving backwards and returning to a less smart or weaker time. The statement: â€Å"His development (or regression) was rapid† implies that Buck was aware of his rapid change, but was not sure if that change was whether greatly improving himself or was returning to a worse condition. 8. London was trying to relay to the reader that Buck was greatly disturbed by Curly’s death. Buck had never seen dogs fight that violently before, and had compassion towards Curly. How to cite Call of the Wild, Papers Call of the Wild Free Essays Zach Maes English 2 8-30-2011 Call of the Wild 1. Some readers see the hardships and suffering of the dogs in the sled team as symbolic of workers in a Capitalistic system. Identify and explain these similarities. We will write a custom essay sample on Call of the Wild or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"He had killed man, the noblest game of all, and he had killed in the face of the law, of club and fang† (ch. 7) Capitalism is an economic system in which the workers only are paid enough to eat and survive. The dogs in the sled team have to work hard and are only fed enough to survive. The workers in the Capitalistic system are treated the same as the dogs, in which they are given the bare minimum to live, and only to live, they do not receive enough money to do more then eat. The sled dogs have to work hard like the workers, and are rewarded with food. They relate because the bare minimum is given whether it is the sled dogs or the Capitalistic workers. 2. Trace Buck’s development from a â€Å"monarch† to a working dog to a â€Å"free† dog. Specifically, how is Buck’s transitional experience a â€Å"Call of the Wild†? Consider such quotes as Pete’s: â€Å"When he was made, the mold was broke. † â€Å"His eyes turned bloodshot, and he was metamorphosed into a raging fiend. So changed was he that the judge himself would not have recognized him† (Ch. 1) Buck starts the novel as a ruler of his household. His experience becomes a â€Å"Call of the Wild† because he is an animal and that is where he naturally came from. He goes through several stages of life from living in a royal palace to working hard pulling a sled for the Canadian Government. And then to falling in love with someone that he belongs with, and then getting it all ripped away from him again. He was bred to fight, and bred to be a leader and to be alone in the wilderness, and to conquer the wilderness and to answer the â€Å"Call of the Wild†. 3. Compare Buck at the beginning of his journey with Buck at the end of his journey. What are the changes and what causes them? Would you call him a hero? Why or why not? What is the most valuable lesson learned? â€Å"He was older than the days he had seen and the breaths he had drawn. He linked the past with the present, and the eternity behind him throbbed through him in a mighty rhythm to which he swayed as the tides and seasons swayed. † (Ch. 6) At the beginning of Bucks journey he didn’t know a lot about himself, but as his journey continued he slowly began to learn more about himself, like how much pain he could handle, and how much fight he had. He learned that he could withstand anything, and he learned a lot more about himself then he could of he spent the rest of his life at the Judge’s house. He learned that he could live by himself in the wild and that he needed to kill and he needed to eat fresh meat to live. Living in the wild was what he was made to do, it was in his blood, passed down from generation to generation from his parents, and all that was needed was to be introduced to the wild, and when given that opportunity he flourished. ? London, Jack (1903). The Call of the Wild. How to cite Call of the Wild, Papers Call of the Wild Free Essays string(60) " he needs to adapt to his surroundings in order to survive\." Suffering has been a part of human life since the dawn of time. It is part of our journey in this life. Some suffer less and some suffer more; however, in the end we are destined to suffer no matter what. We will write a custom essay sample on Call of the Wild or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Call of the Wild by Jack London emphasizes suffering and gives meaning to such suffering. The novel is about a dog that gets captured and taken into the wild during the time of the Gold Rush. He is faced with unstable conditions where he must either adapt or die. Buck overcomes his suffering because he adapts to his new conditions and because of this he reaches his full potential.Buck’s life was very effortless and comfortable before he was kidnapped. In the beginning of the book, the author gives us a sense that Buck lived a very good life. London describes how wealthy the land where he lived was and then he affirms that: â€Å"Over this great demesne Buck ruled†¦ The whole realm was his. † (London 3) This quote shows how much prestige Buck had as a dog living with the Judge. Buck also escorted the Judge’s daughter’s and at night he rested by the fireplace where he was kept warm. Buck’s luxurious lifestyle before the kidnapping is what makes his story so great.Buck lived a comfortable life and he was never challenged to build his potential, however because of his primitive instincts that lived inside of him he was never fully domesticated. The author points out in the beginning of the story that Buck: â€Å"Had saved himself by not becoming a mere pampered house dog. Hunting and kindred outdoor delights had kept down the fat and hardened his muscles; and to him, as to the cold-tubbing races, the love of water had been a tonic and a health preserver. † (London 4) This shows the primitive side of Buck, his strength, and cunning.Although he had the life of a domesticated pet he never fully became domestic, because of his deep instincts that raged inside of him is a foreshadowing to what he was to become in the future. Even though he was never challenged, his instincts that eventually leads to his transformation kept him hunting in which resulted in his strength that would eventually cause him to become the wolf he were destined to be. The Call of the Wild’s theme of the transformation of Buck from a civilized dog to a primitive wolf is inevitable. Through constant foreshadowing the author shows Buck’s ancient primitive instincts that lead up this transformation.Even the name of the book refers to the calling of Buck’s lon g dead instincts to the wild. The foreshadowing of his instincts that lead to his transformation is expressed by the London: â€Å"[Each] day mankind and the claims of mankind slipped farther from him. Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and as often as he heard this call, mysteriously thrilling and luring, he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire, and to plunge into the forest† (London 121) Although his love for his owner John Thornton was genuine his instincts kept calling him to the wild that reveals to the audience the transformation that would eventually occur.However I feel that Jack London’s story about the transformation and suffering of Buck is much deeper than the literal meaning of the novel. The first suffering Buck experiences is betrayal. Buck always had a faith and respect for humans. However, this was soon to change when Manuel, the Judge’s gardener, decides to kidnap Buck to sell him, so he could pay for his gambling debt. When he gets captured by Manuel with a r ope the author states that at first: â€Å"Buck had accepted the rope with quiet dignity†¦ He had learned to trust in men he knew, and to give them credit for a wisdom that outreached his own. (London 5) However he soon realized that the man was actually trying to do him harm and as London states in the same page: â€Å"But to his surprise the rope tightened around his neck, shutting off his breath. † (London 5). The pain Buck suffered was more mentally than physically because it was not just the rope around his neck shutting off his breath; it was his first suffering and his first betrayal by a human. This was Buck’s first lesson in the wild that he had to learn; never to trust men again. Through Buck’s suffering he changes his outlook on the world and begins a quest for his transformation.As Siddharta said: â€Å"Life is suffering† we either accept the suffering of this life adapting to the surroundings or we let our surroundings control our fate. As Buck suffered he learned little by little to change to his surroundings. After Buck gets captured by Manuel, he is sold to a â€Å"man with a red sweater† that eventually beats down buck; this is his first physical suffering. The author describes that Buck: â€Å"Was beaten (he knew that); but he was not broken. He saw, once for all, that he stood no chance against a man with a club. He had learned the lesson, and in his life after his captivation he never forgot it.That club was a revelation. It was his introduction to the reign of primitive law, and he met the introduction halfway. The facts of life took on a fiercer aspect and while he faced that aspect uncowed, he faced it with all the latent cunning of his nature aroused† (London 14). Buck suffering makes him change his outlook on life in which causes him to transform. First mentally when he realized he could not trust men, and then physically when he was beaten by a man in a red sweater. The betrayal of Manuel and the beating Buck receives shows another side of humanity that Buck had never experienced before.This was just the beginning of his sufferings, yet we see that Buck has an epiphany that enlightens him to realize that he needs to adapt to his surroundings in order to survive. You read "Call of the Wild" in category "Papers" What made Buck different from all the other dogs was simply his ability to adapt. He adapted to his surroundings and quickly learned what to do and what he should not do. We see a different attitude in Buck in the beginning of Chapter 3 compared to the beginning of the story as London writes: â€Å"The dominant primordial beast was strong in Buck†¦ His newborn cunning gave him poise and control. He was too busy adjusting himself to the new life to feel at ease, and not only did he not pick fights, but he avoided them whenever possible. Certain deliberateness characterized his attitude. He was not prone to rashness and precipitate action† (London 33) We see a different attitude in Buck compared to the beginning of the story in which shows that Buck was already adapting to his surroundings and slowly transforming into his fuller potential. In the beginning he was foolish to attack the man over and over again just to be beaten every time but now he was wiser than that.Buck had much more than physical strength that caused him to stand out. He had something the other dogs did not have, the ability to adapt and observe all of his surroundings. The author describes that: â€Å"Not only [Buck] learn[ed] by experience, but instincts long dead became alive again. The domesticated generations fell from him. In vague ways he remembered back to the youth of the breed, to the time the wild dogs ranged in packs through the primeval forest and killed their meat as they ran it down. . . . Thus, as token of what a puppet thing life is the ancient song surged through him and he came into his own  again† (London 40).London explains that as time went by his true self became more vivid in Buck and this was possible because of the suffering that lead to his transformation. Buck understood in a deeper level the meaning of suffering that the other dogs did not. In addition to what we saw earlier Buck always had a primitive leader personality that only needed to be molded for him to unleash his potential. Buck took all the circumstances of his life as a challenge and embraced the suffering; that is what made him different. We as human beings can use Buck as an example to live our lives.Just as Buck overcame the challenges of the wilderness to reach his fullest potential we also can overcome the challenges of everyday life and not give up because of the circumstances that we face daily. A real life example can be a man who tries to go to college to earn a degree but because of the difficulty and the circumstances he drops out and chooses to accept a lower standard of living, or in a more tragic example someone who is fed up with life and commits suicide. In The Call of the Wild through the lenses of Jack London these people are considered those who could not adapt and did not become their unleashed potential selves. Survival of the fittest is not a matter of only physical strength but adaptation. An example of this is Buck’s fight with Spitz. Although Spitz seemed to have more strength than Buck, what made Buck win over him was his continuous effort to adapt that led him to a stronger self. As Winston Churchill said, â€Å"Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential†. As we saw through the story what made Buck so great is that he never gave up. Jack London makes known to his audience that the suffering that Buck experiences is necessary for him to reach his potential.Buck was meant to be a leader and his leadership had to be unleashed and molded by his experience and his adaptation through the circumstances of the wild. Slowly Buck’s wild and leader mentality starts to be carved out by his experiences and through the circumstances that in the end help him develop into his full potential as a dog. London states that Buck was taking orders by a Scotch half-breed and â€Å"Buck did not like it, but he bore up well to the work, taking pride in it after the manner of Dave and Sol-leks, and seeing that his mates, where they prided in it or not, did their fair share. (London 61) This reveals to us that Buck was not ready from the start to be a leader. He first had to experience being the lowest to eventually be strong enough to rise up to lead. London continues to say that: â€Å"Three battles with the fiercest [dogs] brought Buck to mastery. † (London 62) It gives us an understanding that Buck’s journey to his full potential was a hard one that was built in by experiences that came in progressively not instantaneously. Suffering changes Buck’s behavior and it disciplines him to become a better dog. IfBuck had never left his home he would have never progressed into being the leader and alpha dog he became to be by the end of the story. In addition he would have never experienced true love that he eventually feels by John Thornton. â€Å"The person, who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live† said Leo F. Buscaglia. As this quote explains, it is better for us to suffer to better ourselves than to not suffer and remain the same. To live is to suffer as we said, but to live is also to learn. Buck always had the mentality that he had to continue to learn and grow to overcome his obstacles. He never became so proud that he stopped growing and learning. He was humble enough to always search and observe for new ways to improve his ability as the alpha dog. In every circumstance Buck had to do what was necessary to survive, for example when he had to figure out a way to sleep despite the frozen cold, or when he realized he had to eat faster before the other dogs could get his food. The author explains: â€Å"His development (or retrogression) was rapid. His muscles became hard as iron, and he grew callous to all ordinary pain.He achieved an internal as well as external economy. He could eat anything, no matter how loathsome or indigestible; and, once eaten, the juices of his stomach extracted the last least particle of nutriment. † (London 30). Through his observations and continuous effort to change and learn he overmatched every dog that he was with because of his ability to change and adapt into his surroundings. By the end of the story Buck had grown mentally, physically, and emotionally. One thing Buck was able to achieve in the wild was love. Before he meets John Thornton he did not love any of his masters including the Judge but only respected them.Buck’s love for John was so great that it kept him from running to the wild as London states: â€Å"But as often as he gained the soft unbroken earth and the green shade, the love of John Thornton drew him back to the fire again. † (London 95) Not only were his muscles more developed and more physically powerful, he was also mentally more aware and emotionally capable of love. The author states the depth of Buck’s love for John: â€Å"When Thornton passed a caressing hand along his back, a snapping and crackling followed the hand, each hair discharging its pent magnetism at the contact.Between all the parts there was a perfect equilibrium or adjustment. † (London 125) All that he went through caused him to experience new things that eventually lead him to his fullest potential. However the last suffering Buck had to suffer was to lose the one he loved so he can finally go into the wild; to the place he was born to be. If Buck had continued in his privileged life he would have never experienced the thrill, the love and all the emotions he was now experiencing. We should not see Buck’s life as a tragedy but as a victory. London describes that â€Å"[Buck] loved to run down dry watercourses, and to creep and spy upon the bird life in the woods. † (London 119) All this shows the beauty of nature that Buck was able to experience at his full potential. London continues to explain that: â€Å"His cunning was wolf cunning, and wild cunning; his intelligence, shepherd intelligence and Saint Bernard intelligence; and all this plus an experience gained in the fiercest of schools, made him as formidable a creature as any that roamed the wild. (London 118) The love of John towards Bucks allows the unleashing of Buck’s ultimate self. In conclusion, what can we say about Jack London’s view on suffering? That through suffering we live and learn and by learning we grow to our fullest potential. It is important to learn through this book and to put ourselves in Buck’s situation. Would we have come out on top just as he did? Or would we have given up? It is also important to try to see ho w things could have ended for Buck had he given up. However, this story speaks about more than just the sufferings of a dog.In the real-world, we try to avoid suffering as much as possible, what London is trying to convey is that suffering Is an inevitable part of life that, instead of trying to avoid, we should embrace and learn from it and that the sufferings in life builds our character to make us stronger, allowing us to reach our fullest potential as human beings to be the people we were created to be. Jack London’s novel The Call of the Wild, is an inspiring story that shows us that both perseverance and learning from our experiences can helps us grow into our fullest potential. How to cite Call of the Wild, Papers