The Call of the Wild Author Jack London Setting
Buck enjoys a good life in Santa Clara Valley, where he can fully experience the golden sunshine by eating and sleeping throughout the days and nights.
Characters:
The Main Dogs
- Buck –a proud and powerful dog, half St Bernard and half shepherd dog, who begins life on a comfortable Californian estate as a family pet, yet soon changes when he is stolen and sold to work as a sled dog in the frozen North.
- Spitz – Buck’s archrival and original leader of Francois’ dog team. A fierce, treacherous, husky, Spitz is used to fighting with other dogs and winning.
- Dave – a hardworking dog who runs behind Buck in the team and ‘teaches’ Buck by nipping him to correct his mistake. Dave is a gritty, determined dog who prefers to keep himself to himself.
- Sol-leks – an older, more experienced dog with only one eye, who lives only to pull the sled.
- Curly – Buck’s friend, Curly is a friendly but naive Newfoundland, who is killed by Spitz.
- Billie – a good-natured husky, half-brother to Joe.
- Joe – opposite in nature to Billee, Joe is sour and unfriendly, with a perpetual snarl.
- Dolly – suddenly goes mad on the trail and attacks the other dogs. Pike-a sly, clever dog, who shows Buck how to steal.
- Dub – often made a scapegoat, since, whenever anything goes wrong, Dub gets the blame.
The Main People
- Judge Miller –Buck’s original master, the owner of a large estate in California’s Santa Clara Valley.
- Manuel – a gardener’s helper on Judge Miller’s estate. Manuel steals Buck and sells him in order to pay off his gambling debts.
- Mercades and Charles – husband and wife. They are inexperienced in the ways of dog sledding.
- Hal – Mercedes’ arrogant brother who badly mistreats dogs.
- John Thornton- Buck’s final master who is strict in discipline.
- Francois – a French Canadian mail driver who buys Buck and adds him to the team.
- Perrault – a French Canadian turns Buck into a sled dog.
Summary
Buck resides in the Santa Clara Valley, where he spends his time eating and sleeping during his simple days and nights. He finds great joy in this life, mainly due to the presence of his dear friend, Curly. However, Buck harbors immense hatred towards Spitz, the wicked dog responsible for Curly’s demise. Despite his inner turmoil, Buck strives to push past this obstacle and move forward.
However, one fateful day, a traitorous act leads to his abduction, thrusting him into a world of peril and adventure. Buck tirelessly battles for his existence, yearning to return to a life of tranquility instead of danger. He harbors a glimmer of hope that he will conquer this ordeal and live to see another peaceful day.
Eventually, Buck manages to escape his captor and returns to his familiar surroundings, where he encounters a tourist. In an unexpected display of affection, similar to how Buck embraced this person, the dog opens his heart and readily embraces the opportunity for companionship. He forms a deep bond with this individual, erasing the feeling of loneliness that once consumed him. Buck affectionately cuddles this person and experiences an overwhelming sense of joy.
Theme
Through this story, I learned that.
“When a Trouble Comes a Better Life Waits.”
I believe that this story accurately portrays the idea that the worst things happen right before a better life comes. This is evident in Buck’s life, as he faced numerous challenges but ultimately managed to overcome them and find a happier existence.
Opinion
I appreciate this story for its valuable teachings that we can both embrace and avoid. I particularly admire Buck’s relentless determination to survive. As someone young, I encourage you to extract the positive lessons from this narrative and avoid replicating the negative actions demonstrated by Spitz towards Curly.
