While the book is best known for Buck’s character and for its usual setting (not to mention its prestige as one of the first adventure fiction novels), London’s writing style is commonly overlooked. Any weakness (like kindness or friendship) can lead to your demise. His initial horror at the Yukon and the brutal murder of Curly results in his learning a series of powerful, unforgettable lessons.

While he suffered, he also learned a great deal (as the reader does). He traveled from master to master and was forced to endure starvation, freezing cold, and a constant battle for dominance with the other dogs. He had no choice (as a human being likely would) over what happened to him and where he went. No one understands the contrast between civilization and the wild as a dog does, London suggests in his novel.īuck lived a life of luxury, one that was interpreted permanently when he was stolen and sold as a sled dog. London made this unique choice (as a dog-lover all his life) as a way to depict humanity and nature from an unusual perspective. If you’ve never read ‘ The Call of the Wild,’ the immediate realization that the main character is a dog is surprising. And if, perhaps, you might experience the same type of joy in freedom and nature as Buck does. While the protagonist is a dog, readers can easily place themselves in Buck’s place and imagine what it would be like to be forced to live a wild life, very removed from that which you previously enjoyed. This major theme of the novel should appeal to all readers. It’s hard to finish Buck’s story without admiring his appreciation for nature (despite all the suffering he’s forced to endure). Civilization and Wilderness in The Call of the WildĪfter reading the novel ‘ The Call of the Wild‘ by Jack London, readers are meant to walk away questioning civilization and with a newfound interest in, and respect for, the natural world.

The call of the wild book jack london