Study notes: The Call of the Wild
Buck, a comfortable California dog, is stolen and sold into the Klondike as a sled dog. He learns a harsh pack order, a driver who is decent, and drivers who are not. London writes the north as a place that strips away anything extra. Buck becomes less a pet and more a wild animal. The book is famous, short, and not gentle. It is an adventure about strength and also a record of cruelty to animals that a reader should not cheer for.
Themes
Adaptation. Loyalty to a fair leader. The cost of treating animals as tools.
People to follow
Buck, Spitz, John Thornton, and the drivers who fail the dogs.
Talk about
- What does Buck lose that he cannot get back?
- Which human deserves his loyalty, and why?
- Where should a reader refuse to enjoy the violence?
Public-domain text.