1. The Call of the Wild
By: Jack London

2. Setting
Year: start of the Klondike gold rush Places: California briefly; Alaska and the Klondike region of Canada Klondike gold rush- attracted thousands of miners.

3. Genre
Adventure
The story is about a dog named Buck who is taken from the South to become a sled dog in the North.
The discovery of gold in the Yukon brought a demand for sled dogs.

4. Author 1.) Born: San Francisco in 1876
Jack London
1.) Born: San Francisco in 1876
2.) Traveled across the United States by hopping freight trains; he decided his life was heading in the wrong direction.
3.) He came back to California and completed a full high school course in just 3 months.
4.) Studied at the University of California for a year.

5. Author continued…
5.) When gold was discovered in the Yukon River in 1896, London headed for Canada hoping to become rich.
6.) He returned from the Yukon Territory no richer, but he wanted to become a writer.
7.) Upon his return to California, he began writing The Call of the Wild. His adventures and experiences in the North served as the basis for the book.

6. Character List
Buck- a powerful dog. He is half St. Bernard and half sheepdog. He was stolen from a California estate and sold as a sled dog in the arctic. Judge Miller- Buck’s original master; owner of a large estate in California’s Santa Clara Valley.

7. Characters Continued…
Manuel- a gardener’s helper on Judge Miller’s estate; he kidnaps Buck and sells him in order to pay off his gambling debts when Judge Miller is away.
Francois- from the North; a French Canadian mail driver who buys Buck and adds him to his team. He has good sense and is fair.

8. Character List Continued…
Perrault- a French Canadian who, along with Francois, turns Buck into a sled dog for the Canadian government Hal- an American gold-seeker. Comes to Canada in search of riches.

9. Characters Continued…
Mercedes- Hal’s sister; she is spoiled and pampered by the man around her. Her character shows how civilized, educated women are unsuited for life in the wild.
Charles- Hal’s brother-in-law and Mercedes’ husband

10. Character List Continued…
Spitz- Buck’s rival. Original leader of Francois’ dog team. Fights with other dogs for survival, without a care if it is right or wrong. Dave- A dog on Buck’s team. He has a lot of determination.

11. Characters Continued…
Sol-leks- an older, more experienced dog on Buck’s team.
Curly- female dog; Buck meets Curly on his journey to the North.