John Thornton
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A short adventure novel by Jack London about a dog named Buck in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush. The story explores the themes of civilization, instinct, and survival in the harsh environment.
- Jack London
- 1903
A classic adventure novel about a dog's journey from civilization to the wilderness. Read reviews, ratings, and excerpts from the book, and learn about the author's life and ideas.
- (442.1K)
- Mass Market Paperback
Read the classic novel about a dog's journey from civilization to the wilderness in the Yukon. This PDF ebook is in the public domain and was created by JoséMenéndez.
- 584KB
- 85
A classic novel about a dog's journey from civilization to the wilderness, exploring the instincts and loyalty of man and beast. Read the book, see the ratings, follow the authors and learn more about the historical context and themes of this story.
- (11.7K)
- Jack London
- Overview
- Summary
- Analysis
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The Call of the Wild, novel by Jack London, published serially by The Saturday Evening Post in 1903 and then as a single-volume book by Macmillan & Co. the same year. It is often considered to be his masterpiece and is the most widely read of all his publications.
The story follows Buck—a mix of St. Bernard and Scotch collie—throughout his journey as a sled dog. Buck’s story begins at the house of Judge Miller in Santa Clara, California. Here, Buck is a beloved domesticated pet, living comfortably. However, after gold is discovered in the Yukon territory of Canada, Buck is stolen by one of Miller’s gardeners as the demand for sled dogs increases. The gardener sells Buck to dog traders and makes a profit, and Buck is soon shipped north, abused and beaten as he goes. Along with a sweet, unassuming dog named Curly, Buck is sold to two government couriers, François and Perrault, who put him to work as a sled dog. Buck is soon overwhelmed by his surroundings, particularly when he sees a group of huskies attack and kill Curly. As Buck is forced to adapt to the wild, his primitive instincts begin to surface. It is during this time that he makes an enemy of the lead sled dog, Spitz. The two fight a number of times, and Buck consistently undermines him in the hopes of diminishing his authority. After a final, decisive battle, Buck kills Spitz and appoints himself as the new lead dog—something he convinces his owners to go along with through his sheer stubbornness. With Buck as lead dog, the team begins making trips in record time. The team, along with Buck, is eventually sold to a mail carrier who forces the dogs to carry arduously heavy loads. This work results in the death of one of the dogs.
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The team is sold again, this time to American gold hunters named Hal, Charles, and Mercedes. The three are wildly inexperienced: they overload the sled, and they beat the dogs unnecessarily. Halfway through a long journey, they begin to run out of food, causing more than half of the dogs to die of starvation. Along their journey, and still with a long way to go, they happen upon the camp of a man named John Thornton. Thornton warns them that the ice they are about to cross is thinning and that it is not safe to cross. The Americans disregard him and attempt to leave. The other dogs obey, but Buck refuses to move onto the ice. Hal beats him viciously until Thornton steps in and cuts Buck free. The Americans continue without Buck, only to fall through the thinning ice and perish alongside the remainder of their dogs.
The Call of the Wild is set in the midst of the Klondike gold rush of the 1890s. During this time, more than 30,000 people traveled to the area near the convergence of the Klondike and Yukon rivers in Yukon territory, just east of what is today Alaska. As described in the novel, many of these people used sled dog teams to traverse the rough cold terrain. The setting created by London in The Call of the Wild is somewhat reminiscent of the American West—idyllic unmapped territory that holds rich secrets waiting to be discovered by those brave enough to travel into the unknown. Opportunity teems in the Klondike region with the promise of gold, yet, as in the American West, with this opportunity comes risk and the threat of harm.
London’s depiction of Buck’s struggle in this setting shows the influence of, and is identifiable with themes within, various strains of naturalism, individualism, and social Darwinism. Buck begins as a pampered pet dog who is then forced to adapt to survive in the wilderness of Canada. He becomes more and more individualistic as he adapts: at first he submits to “the law of club and fang,” doing all he can to avoid beatings and fights, but, as time progresses, he becomes more self-concerned. He fights Spitz willingly numerous times, an individualistic act as well as a manifestation of the “survival of the fittest” concept important to social Darwinism. Buck’s final transition into a full strong individual who has triumphed over others is the moment he realizes John Thornton is dead, which removes any remaining tethers to the civilized world. After this Buck encounters a pack of wolves that he will come to lead; his strong individualism gives him the power of leadership.
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When it was published in 1903, The Call of the Wild was an immediate success. The single-volume version of the novel also included illustrations, which enhanced its descriptions of Canada’s natural beauty. Though it has been and is still, at times, classified as a children’s book, its themes and overarching narrative are suited for mature readers. ...
Learn about Jack London's classic novel The Call of the Wild, which follows the journey of a sled dog in the Klondike gold rush. Explore the themes of naturalism, individualism, and social Darwinism in the story, and how it was received by critics and readers.
A classic novel by Jack London about a dog's journey from civilization to the wilderness. Learn about Buck, the half-St. Bernard, half-sheepdog who becomes a sled dog, a leader, and a Ghost Dog in the Klondike.
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Jul 2, 2008 · The narrative sets the stage for Buck's transformation from a pampered pet to a fierce survivor, illustrating the conflict between civilization and the primal instincts that begin to awaken within him as he navigates life in a wild, unforgiving landscape.
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