• The Call of the Wild– Author

– Jack London

• Jack London

• Born 1876, Died 1916• Left school after 8th grade,

but later returned to graduate from high school

• Only briefly attended Cal, Berkley before beginning a life of adventure

• Some of his adventures in real life included the following: – Pirate– Tramp– Gold prospector– Journalist for Various

Wars

• The Call of the Wild– Jack London, Con’t:

• The Call of the Wild is his most famous work

• These experiences, especially his time looking for gold in Canada, are seen in The Call of the Wild

• Wrote over 50 books and was at one time the most popular writer in America

• His works focused on the exploration of new frontiers, including the American West

• They celebrated violence, power and strength

• Literary Focus– Date of Publication

– Genre

– Setting (TIME)

– Setting (PLACE)

• 1903

• Adventure; Beast Fable

• The Late 1890s

• Canada; Alaska– two regions that are

diametrically opposed—the Southland and the Northland. The former represents civilization and the latter the wild. In the South, Buck lived a domesticated and perfectly stable life. When Buck arrives in the North, he realizes that survival is the only concern.

• Literary Focus– Point of View

– Protagonist

– Antagonist

• Third-Person– The Call of the Wild is told

from a very unusual point of view—that of a dog. Yet a human narrator stands outside of Buck's consciousness and makes sense of the dog's universe to human readers.

• Buck

• Nature; Selfish, Irresponsible Owners

• Characters– Buck

• A powerful dog, who feels the call of the wild

• Buck is stolen from the California estate and sold as a sled dog in the Arctic

• Buck evolves from a pampered pet into a fierce, masterful animal, a survivor in the cruel Northern wilderness

• Spitz • Buck’s archrival• A fierce “devil-dog”

used to winning fight with other dogs

• Spitz is defeated and killed by Buck

• Amoral and ruthless

• Hal • An American gold seeker

• Hal buys Buck’s dog team

• Terrible masters to the dog team

• Mercedes • Hal’s sister and Charles’s wife

• Spoiled and pampered

• Slows down the journey

• Does show some sympathy for the dogs

• Charles • Mercedes’ husband and Hal’s brother-in-law

• Inexperienced and foolish

• John Thornton • Buck’s final master• Experienced gold

hunter and knows the ways of the Klondike

• Thornton and Buck’s relationship is the ideal for human and animal—they protect each other and are devoted to each other

• Literary Focus– Allegory

• An allegory tells two stories at once—one set in the reality of the story and one with more symbolic significance

• On one level the story is simply about a dog answering the “call of the wild.”

• On a deeper level, however, the novel may be voicing London’s opinion that man is inherently savage and, like Buck, must learn to survive by any means necessary

• Literary Focus– Symbolism

• Hal and his companions represent the weakness of civilized people and embody the worst kind of man to human relationship

• Mercedes is symbolic of how civilized women are babied by their men and unsuited for life in the wild

• Literary Focus, Con’t– Themes and Conflicts

• Survival• Cruelty of Nature• Survival of the Fittest• Quest for Alpha Dog

Status• Primitive Instincts• Rugged Individualism• Freedom and Solitary

Life• Civilization vs. Nature

• Influences– Friedrich Nietzsche

– Charles Darwin

• A German philosopher• Two Types of Human

Beings: “Masters,” who have a will to be powerful and “slaves” who do not have that same desire

• Envisioned a natural world defined by fierce competition for scarce resources

• Darwin’s theory can be simplified into the idea of “survival of the fittest”

• Overview • Buck is a powerful dog, who is a mix of St. Bernard and sheepdog

• Gold is discovered in the Klondike region of Canada and Buck is sold to dog traders

• Buck, who had grown used to the sunny weather of California, is shocked by the harsh conditions of the north

• Buck however becomes adept and learns to trust his animalistic nature

• He soon becomes the lead dog for his team

• Overview, Con’t • On one of Buck’s journeys his inexperienced masters ignore the dangers of the wilderness

• With the help of the gold hunter John Thornton Buck is freed from his irresponsible owners and becomes completely devoted to Thornton

• He saves Thornton’s life on more than one occasion

• Buck’s affection for Thornton is tempered, however, because he is increasingly drawn to the call of the wild

• Once a dog of leisure, Buck has developed into an animal that is one with nature.