Call of the Wild Review Chapters 1-7
How would you respond to the following? Discuss the Law of the Club; explain how Buck learns it and its significance as a theme. Discuss the Law of the Fang; explain how Buck learns it and its significance as a theme. Explain how Buck retrogressed when he came to the Northland.
How would you respond to the following? Dominant Primordial Beast (DPB) is the primitive will to survive. Which characters were ruled by DPB. Show instances of characters going against their DPB and risking their lives out of love or loyalty. How do Hal and Mercedes represent male and female stereotypes, respectively? What is the Call of the Wild? What holds Buck back from answering the call?
In the Southland, why is trouble brewing for every strong dog? Men are rushing to the Northland to look for gold and they need strong dogs
What literary device is this? Foreshadowing Buck’s kidnapping
Why does Jack London make Buck’s first owner a judge? Judges interpret LAWS; epitomize “civilization” in the Southland
Who are Toots and Ysabel? House dogs at Judge Miller’s place
What extended metaphor is used at the beginning of Chapter 1? Buck is a king
How is Buck described at the beginning of Chapter 1 that shows he is a product of civilization? Buck is a sated aristocrat; has the dignity that comes of good living and universal respect; is egotistical
Who are Elmo and Shep? Buck’s parents
What is a tonic and health preserver for Buck? Love of water
In what year is Buck captured? 1897
What is Manuel’s one besetting sin? Chinese gambling
What is Manuel’s one besetting weakness? Faith in a system
What emotion did Buck show when Manuel sold him? Anger
What does Buck’s collar represent? Civilization—it had to be forcefully removed from him
How did Buck view men on his journey North? As tormentors
Why isn’t the man in the red sweater given a name? He is a symbol of the potential in men to show primitive (brutal) behavior
What does the red in his sweater represent? savagery, blood
How many times did Buck charge at the man in the red sweater? Over a dozen
After the man in the red sweater, Buck was beaten but he was not _____. broken
Buck was introduced to the reign of primitive law. What is the Law of the Club? A man with a club is a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed, though not necessarily to be made friends with….and
Buck was introduced to the reign of primitive law. What is the Law of the Club? A single dog cannot win a fight against a man with a club in his hand
What does the club represent? Power, brutality, man’s ability to use his brain to create weapons
What is Jack London saying about mankind as a whole? We are weak animals, but we have intelligence to create weapons to dominate and protect us
Who is a French-Canadian, black-faced giant? Francois
Who is a little weazened man who spat broken English? Perrault
What do Perrault and Francois do for a living? Carry dispatches for the Canadian government
Who is a good-natured Newfoundland? Curly
Who had accompanied a Geological Survey into the Barrens? Spitz
Who smiles in a treacherous sort of way? Spitz
Who is a gloomy, morose fellow? Dave
Who steals Buck’s food on the first night? Spitz
What does Buck think of Perrault and Francois? He thought that they were fair men, calm and impartial in giving justice, and wise in the way of dogs
Why does Buck feel ashamed on the deck of the Narwhal? He had never been in snow before
What simile is used to describe Buck’s first day on the Dyea beach? Like a nightmare
How does Buck describe the men and animals on Dyea beach? Savages who knew no law but the law of club and fang
What is Buck’s vicarious experience on Dyea Beach? Watching Curly’s death
Describe the Law of the Fang Fight to the death Wolf manner of fighting Other dogs form a circle Never go down, no fair play
Why does Buck hate Spitz after Curly’s death? Spitz laughed at it
What was sorely hurt when Buck was placed in the harness the first time? His dignity
Which dogs are brothers? Billee and Joe
Who has an excessive good nature? Billee
Who is sour, introspective, with a perpetual snarl and a malignant eye? Joe
Who was known as The Angry One? Sol-leks
Who was the incarnation of belligerent fear? Joe
Who had a single eye that flashed a warning of prowess? Sol-leks
Why was Buck’s shoulder slashed three inches? Sol-leks did not like to be approached on his blind side.
Why did Buck flee ignominiously his first night? He tried to sleep in the tent of the men
Why did Buck bound out of the snow his first morning? He thought he was in a trap (genetic memory)
What is genetic memory? Knowing how to do something without ever having done it before
Who was the wheeler dog? Dave
Which two dogs became alive and alert in the traces? Dave and Sol-leks
How does Perrault honor Buck? Checking his feet
What did Perrault pride himself on? Knowledge of the ice
Why couldn’t Buck be a fastidious eater? Other dogs would take his food
Who is a clever malingerer? Pike
From which dog did Buck learn to steal? Pike
What event marked Buck’s capacity to adapt? Stealing bacon
Which law existed in the Southland? Law of love and fellowship (respect private property and personal feelings
What is the “more fundamental and primitive code” that is beaten into Buck? Civilized, he would die for his morals. Decivilized, he has to abandon his morals to survive.
T or F: Buck stole for the joy of it. False—he stole because he was hungry
What does retrogression mean? Retro = back Gress = to step To step back into a more primitive time
What is Buck’s most conspicuous trait? To scent the wind and forecast the weather a night in advance
What does Spitz do to Buck at Lake Laberge? Steals his nest
“…the unexpected happened, the thing that projected their struggle for supremacy far into the future…” is an example of what device? foreshadowing
What event broke forth pandemonium in the camp? Attack of the starving huskies
After the attack, which dog fled over the ice? Billee
What did the starving huskies eat? Sled lashings, canvas coverings, Perrault’s moose-hide moccasins, chunks of the leather whip and traces
Which dog goes mad? Dolly—from rabies
Nothing is said to daunt which character? Perrault
In Spitz’s view, why was Buck an exception to the Southland dogs? Buck adapted quickly and lived
In what four traits did Buck match Spitz? Strength, savagery, cunning, and patience
What was the defiance of life, pitched in minor key, the half- sobs? The huskies’ howls
What is the paradox of living? To feel most alive, you have to forget everything around you
When did Buck experience “the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being”? Chasing the snowshoe rabbit
What quality did Buck possess that made for greatness? imagination
As a leader, at what did Buck excel? Giving the law and making his mates live up to it
What did Buck describe as “monotonous, machinelike regularity”? Life with the Scotch half-breed and the mail train
What did Buck sometimes dream of? Judge Miller’s place, swimming tank, Toots and Ysabel
What did Buck more often dream of? Man in the red sweater, death of Curly, fight with Spitz, good things to eat
What were far more potent memories? Memories of his heredity (genetic memory)
Was Buck homesick? No
Who is the hairy man? Man’s ancestor
What happened to Dave? He had internal injuries and they shot him
What hurt the dogs the most as the mail train entered Skagway? Their feet
Who is a middle-aged, lightish-colored man, with weak and watery eyes? Charles
Who is nineteen, with a revolver and knife? Hal
What was the most salient thing about Hal? His belt with cartridges
What did Hal’s belt advertise? His callowness (inexperience)
What did Mercedes not want to leave behind? The tent
What advice did the townspeople give Hal, Charles, and Mercedes? Get rid of ½ the load and get twice as many dogs
What were the six new dogs called? The Outside dogs
What did Buck think of the new dogs? Looked at them with disgust; could not teach them what to do
What did Hal trade his Colt revolver for? Frozen horse hide
Which dog was the first to go under Hal, Charles, and Mercedes? Dub (shoulder blade)
It was Mercedes’ custom to be _____ helpless
What was Mercedes’ essential sex-prerogative? Making the lives of her men unendurable if they did not do what she wanted
What was her “lusty last straw”? Mercedes had to sit on the sled
Why did Hal and Charles come back for Mercedes? She is family
How did Buck describe his life with Hal, Charles, and Mercedes (simile)? As in a nightmare
Which dog had to be knocked on the head with the ax? Billee
Which four dogs fell into the lake with Hal, Charles, and Mercedes? Teek, Pike, Sol-leks, and Joe
What metaphor is used to describe the dogs as they cling to life? like a flame about to be extinguished
Why does Jack London stop to describe the beautiful spring weather at this point? Using ANTITHESIS, he makes the dogs’ condition seem even worse
Why is Thornton at his camp? He froze his feet the prior December
Who had a doctor trait? Skeet
Who is a huge black, demonstrative dog? Nig
When with Thornton, what was Buck’s for the first time? Love, genuine, passionate love
Thornton saw to the welfare of his dogs as if they were ____. His children
Why didn’t Buck let Thornton out of his sight? Out of a fear that no master was permanent
Faithfulness and devotion were Buck’s, yet he retained his _____ and _____. Wildness and wiliness
Because of his great love, what could Buck not do? Steal from Thornton or his dogs
In the wild, Buck must master or _____. Be mastered
What did not exist in the primordial life? Mercy
What was mercy mistaken for in the wild? Fear
Why was Buck “older than the days he had seen and the breaths he had drawn”? He had the knowledge and emotions (genetic memory) of his ancestors throbbing in him.
Because Buck’s genetic memory surfaced, what “slipped farther from him”? The claims of mankind—he no longer wanted to be with man in civilization.
What was Buck willing to do for Thornton on the bluffs of the Tanana River? Jump off a 300-ft. cliff
Why did a miner’s meeting need to be called at Circle City? Buck tore out Black Burton’s throat
How did Buck and Thornton go against DPB at Forty Mile Creek? Each risked their lives to save the other
Who called Thornton’s bluff at Eldorado Saloon? Matthewson
Who loaned Thornton money at Eldorado Saloon? Jim O’Brien
What was the bet at Eldorado Saloon? Whether Buck could pull a 1,000 pound sled for 100 yards and break it out
What was steeped in tragedy and shrouded in mystery? The lost mine, or “Lost Cabin”
Did Thornton and his partners ever find the Lost Cabin? No, but they did find gold.
How did the men travel? Indian fashion (salt, rifle, tools)
With Thornton, Buck again envisions the hairy man. In this world, what was the salient thing? fear
While traveling with Thornton, what was Buck compelled to do? Explore the wild
When was Buck at last answering the call? Running side by side with his wolf brother
What was Buck able to kill? Bear, two wolverines, moose calf, a bull moose
What color was Buck? Brown on his muzzle and a splash of white down his chest
What did Buck inherit from his father? Size and weight
What did Buck inherit from his mother? Muzzle and shape
What three things made Buck formidable? Wolf cunning, dog intelligence, and experience in the wild
What three things could Buck do in an instant? Perceive, determine, and respond
What trait did Buck use to bring down the bull moose? patience
Why was the bull moose at a disadvantage? He had been shot by an Indian (arrow in the rump)
When did Buck allow passion to usurp cunning and reason? After he found Hans
What did the Yeehats think Buck was? Evil Spirit
Who remained faithful to Thornton to the last? Skeet
What did Buck have to do to join the wolf pack? Fight several of the pack’s fiercest fighters
After a time, what do the Yeehats tell of? A Ghost Dog