The Call of the Wild (1903) is undoubtedly the most famous of Jack London’s works. It depicts the tale of a peaceful
domestic
half breed dog (half St. Bernard and half Scotch Shepherd) named Buck. The story is told from the point of view of Buck. Because of the nature of his breeds, Buck is a very large, strong dog and resembles a wolf. He lives comfortably in the house of his master, Judge Miller in California.
With the discovery of gold in Alaska, the demand for strong sled dogs increased. A black market trading in these kinds of animals developed and dogs were routinely stolen and sold to Alaskan
prospectors. Buck was kidnapped by one of Judge Miller’s servants and sold in the black market. Buck is sold as a sled dog and he quickly learns of the rigors of life in Alaska. Buck finds himself in the service of cruel owners and is forced to steal and scavenge for food. He becomes rugged, clever and powerful. Eventually because of his strength and endurance, he becomes the lead dog of the sled team.
Buck is sold several times, and it seems that each new owner is progressively more brutal. Eventually, Buck is sold to three inexperienced prospectors. Because of poor planning, the three run out of food and the sled dogs begin to starve. The prospectors have lost 9 out of 14 dogs to starvation. Only Buck and four other dogs remain alive. The exhausted and starving dogs pull their sleds into the camp of John
Thornton. John witnesses the inhuman way the dogs are treated by the prospectors and intervenes on Buck’s behalf. He liberates Buck from his sadistic masters, who ride away (to their deaths) with their remaining dogs.
Buck becomes devoted to Thornton and the two companions share a series of adventures. Buck saves Thornton from drowning, defends him from an attacker and even wins a wager by pulling a heavy load. Buck however, seems drawn to the wilds of Alaska. He meets a pack of wolves and occasionally, spends time with them. He seems to enjoy hunting with them and the only thing keeping Buck from permanently withdrawing into the wild is his devotion and love for Thornton. One day, after an excursion into the wild, Buck returns to find his master and friend dead. Thornton was killed by Alaskan Indians. In a fit of rage, Buck attacks the Indians and kills several of them. The remaining Indians retreat and tell a fantastic story of a powerful legendary dog living with wild wolves.
Without Thornton, there is nothing keeping Buck from living in the wild. Buck eventually becomes the leader of his newfound wolf friends and earned the name “Ghost Dog” from the frightened Indians. Buck’s only tie back to civilization is an annual visit to the grave of Thornton where he mourns the master that he so dearly loved.
This endearing story about Buck’s journey from a peaceful domestic life to a wild existence as a lead wolf, has become a favorite among young readers for over 100 years. It has been adapted to cinema many times. It is rather short and is a very quick read. “The Call of the Wild” is followed by “White Fang” which also details the adventures of a dog in the wilds of Alaska. These two Jack London stories, however are mirror images of each other. “The Call of the Wild” describes the transformation of a domestic dog into a wild wolf, while “White Fang” describes the opposite. The lead dog changes from a wild wolf into a peaceful domestic dog. This early work is highly popular and still widely read today. “The Call of the Wild” is highly recommended for readers of almost any age.
Mark Askeda