Call of the Wild
By
Jack London
Author
• Jack London- writes about the struggles of
men in nature
• Hunted seals, traveled in trains, mined for
gold, wrote for a newspaper before writing
novels
• Had a drug and alcohol problem
• Died at age 40 after a morphine overdose
(possibly killed himself)
Background to Call of the Wild
• How domestic (tame) animal turns into a
wild animal
Overview of Plot
• Buck (dog) lives in California and has an
easy life- plays with children, sits by
fireplace, etc.
• Buck is stolen and taken to the Klondike
(Alaska) to be used as a sled dog during
the Gold Rush
• Because of his harsh treatment by his new
owners, Buck becomes mean and
aggressive
Way of Life in Klondike
• Beautiful country in Alaska, but it is
dangerous to climb the mountains and go
over the ice, so the country did kill some
men
• Extreme cold- extreme behavior by the
men (constant fighting)
• Not knowing how to survive the weather
could kill you
Characters
• Buck- (main character) dog that is half St.
Bernard and half sheepdog
• Judge Miller- Buck’s original owner (treats
Buck well)
• Manuel- Judge Miller’s gardener, steal
Bucks and sells him to pay gambling debts
• Hal- gold seeker that buys Buck
• Mercedes- Hal’s sister, spoiled and
pampered
More Characters
• John Thornton- Buck’s final master who
shows Buck kindness
• Spitz- (dog) Buck’s biggest competition on
the team
• Dave- (dog) gets sick but refuses to quit
• Sol-leks- (dog) older dog on Buck’s team
Symbols
• Mercede’s possessions: She brings too many
things along and the ice cannot support the
weight, causing her death
• Buck’s traces (straps that bind him to the team):
service and leadership as he leads the team,
freedom when he is cut free
• Buck’s first beating: the change from his easy
life in California to hard life in Klondike
• Buck’s attack on the Yeehats: Buck is now truly
a wild animal