Name: _____________________________ Subject: ______________ Block: ____ Date: _____________________
Chapter 2 Study Guide
Directions:
In the space provided, use a complete sentence to answer the question,
based on the information in Chapter 2.
1. Jack London often uses the word, “primordial”. In class we have talked about that
word several times. What does “primordial” mean?
Primordial means “first created or developed.”
2. Early in Chapter 2, Buck was horrified to see a vicious attack. Who was the victim
and what happened?
Curly (the dog Perrault bought at the same time he bought Buck) was the victim.
Curly was trying to greet another dog, when the other dog attacked her. Once
she was knocked to the ground, many other dogs attacked and killed her.
3. London writes, “The scene (Curly’s attack) often came back to Buck to trouble him
in his sleep. So that was the way. No fair play. Once down [that is, once you were
knocked down], that was the end of you.” What did that teach Buck?
Buck learned that he must never allow himself to be knocked down to the ground
if he got in a fight.
4. One day, Francois introduces Buck to something he has only seen horses wear.
What is it?
Francois put a harness on him, so that he could pull a sled.
5. London writes that Sol-leks “had one peculiarity which Buck was unlucky enough to
discover.” What was that “peculiarity” (an unusal thing), and what happened to Buck
because he didn’t know about Sol-leks’ peculiarity?
Sol-leks’ peculiarity was he had only one eye. Sol-leks attacked Buck, biting deep
into Buck’s flank when Buck came up to Sol-leks on his blind side.
6. Buck is used to life in the Southland, and the new ways of the Northland are confusing to
him. For example, when it came time to sleep in the camp for the first time, what
happened?
Buck thought he could sleep in the tent with the men, but the men yelled at him
and threw things at him to drive him back outside.
7. London uses many special terms related to sled and sled-dog teams (“wheeler” and “geepole” are two examples of these words.) Another word is “traces”. What does “traces”
mean when talking about sleds and sled dogs?
“Traces” are the ropes or long, leather straps that connect each dog’s harness to
the sled.
8. An important thing London writes about in Chapter 2 is the change that happens to Buck
as he learns about life in the Northland. London compares the two places Buck has lived—
the friendly, civilized Southland, and the brutal Northland. According to London, what will
happen to those people (and dogs) who fail to learn the new laws of the Northland?
The people and dogs who don’t learn the laws of the Northland will not survive;
they will die.
9. Lucky for Buck, he is able to change and adapt to life in the Northland. One sign of these
changes in Buck is when he steals food for the first time. What does this prove?
According to Jack London, this proves that Buck is “fit to survive,” and that he
can adapt; he can adjust to changing conditions in the Northland.
10. Look at the second to the last paragraph in the chapter. What is London saying is
happening to Buck in this paragraph?
It is saying that Buck is becoming like his primordial ancestors; he is becoming
like the first dogs that ever existed.