The Call of the Wild
Chapter 2: The Law of Club and Fang
Study Guide Teacher Stuff
1. What made Buck’s first day at Dyea so terrifying?



Law of the club and fang
Everything was shocking and confusing
Total chaos
2. Why is Buck surprised when he is not allowed to sleep in the tent? Is there any
significance in Buck’s frustration at trying to find a place to sleep?
 He had been the ruler of his domain in Santa Clara and expects that to
continue; he is use to being pampered
 Buck’s frustration shows his initial inability to cope with the hostile
environment.
 This incident shows his ability to adapt and that enables him to survive as
he moves from civilization to the wild.
3. What primitive fear does Buck experience after sleeping in the snow?
 The fear of the wild thing for the trap (again moving away from
civilization)
4. How did Buck adapt to the change in his diet? Why/how is stealing food
significant?
 Loses his manners – scarf down food
 Stole secretly and cunningly out of respect for club and fang
 Marks his adaptability
 Losing his “moral” nature
 Shows how Buck continues to move away from being civilized; shows he
will do what he must do to survive
5. What changes rapidly occurred in Buck?
See list at the end (also used for Post it project)
6. What transformation did the harness cause in Dave and Sol-leks?




Alert and active
Passiveness and unconcern dropped from them
Anxious to do well
Took delight in their work.
7. What effect does Curly’s death have on Buck’s relationship with Spitz?
 Buck is shocked that there is no fair play in his new environment.
 Curly has done nothing to merit this viscous attack from other dogs
 Spitz laughed from that moment
 Buck hates him with a bitter and deathless hatred
Changes in Buck:














He learns quickly that nothing is fair
Instinct takes over
He learns to defend himself
Sleeps in the snow by digging in
Eat anything for his well being
Bite the ice from his toes
Break the ice off the water
Scarf food
Steal secretively and cunningly
Mend his ways vs. retaliating when Dave nips his heels
Keeps the traces clear
Fight with cut and slash
Quick wolf snap
Scent the wind – know where to dig to sleep.
“Thus, as a token of what a puppet thing life is the ancient song surged through him and
he came into his own again.”
 Returning to the wild – had only been acting his part in the civilized world. Buck
is now returning to what is right and natural.