Call of the Wild essays

Call of the Wild

Essays

Austin: The “Call of the Wild” is freedom. The yearning to be free. All contradicting thoughts are abandoned and instincts take over, instincts passed down from generations. It is the urge to hunt and to avoid being hunted. It’s the desire to mate with the sole purpose of keeping the species going. It is the need to howl at the moon, the wind brushing across you during a dewy morning run. It is salvation beyond proportions.

In the story, Buck was subjected to the “The Call of the Wild” numerous times. For example when he chased down that moose for days, he did so not because that was the only food, but because his instinct told him to. He desired to hunt the moose. The desire to survive. Buck gave into the “Call of the Wild.” He desired leadership, to be the “Alpha Male,” to rule over others. “The Call” is taking the responsibility to lead others and being strong enough to defeat any that oppose you. Buck took on this responsibility when he killed Spitz.

Domestic dogs have this instinct. In a way they are smarter than we are. When they are born they know to communicate and walk. They know how to reproduce as soon as their instincts kick in. We lack such skill. If all the adults in the world were eliminated and nothing was left but babies, humanity would crumble. Without older people to teach them the babies couldn’t talk or eat; and, even if they did there is the trouble of mating. With no one to explain the “birds and the bees” there would be nothing. The “Call of the Wild” to which countless animals can tap into, is out of our reach.

Brandon: The “Call of the Wild” is your inner, wilder side that is trying to come to the surface. It also your natural instincts. Therefore, the “Call of the Wild” means your wilder side is being called out to take control.

Buck was being called throughout the story. He started being called towards the beginning of the story by fighting with Spitz and wanting to be lead dog, which he succeeded in doing. Towards the middle of the story, Buck’s instinct of protecting Thornton took over. He protected him by attacking Matthison. Another incident was when he met a wolf pack. His wilder side was showing then because his natural instinct took over and he went to become apart of the pack. Also, his natural instinct of hunting showed when he stalked a moose for three days before killing it.

The “Call of the Wild” is sometimes a good thing and sometimes a bad thing. It is a good thing when you are stranded somewhere. You want the natural instinct to take over so that you can survive. Although, it is a bad thing when you don’t have any manners or self-control. So, you will have to determine when to let it take over and when not to.

Ben: The “Call of the Wild” is the returning of Buck’s animal instincts. At the beginning of the book, Buck had everything he ever needed, but when later he doesn’t have anything to eat, he steals food. Before he would have rather die of starvation than steal anything.

Later Buck hunts a lot. One time Buck chased a moose for a very long time. He even got in a fight with another dog over food. He also chased after a wolf.

At the end of the book, Buck joins a pack of wolves, he attacks humans and he becomes totally wild. He wouldn’t dare attack humans or hurt other animals on purpose at the beginning of the story. Buck changed a lot from the beginning of the book. He started as a pet and become a wild dog.

Asia: The “Law of Club and Fang” is the law of submit or be killed. In other words, if there is a superior force fighting against you, you should submit to the superior force or die trying. When concerning the law of club and fang it is always better to surrender; even when the superior forces are in the wrong.

An example of this in the book was when Buck saw his fellow partner, Curly, ripped to pieces by wild huskies. Buck thought, “either surrender or be killed, once you’re down you’re done.” This means, mostly, if you surrender to a superior they will leave you alone but if you keep bothering them or nagging at them you are likely to get yourself killed.

An example of this in my life is trying to use the club and fang law with my grandmother. I have to learn that because she is my superior I owe her a certain kind of respect. Like Buck, after I stopped and listened I learned that it is much better to surrender than put my life at stake.

This book taught me that my superiors hold my life in their hands, basically. If they are arguing at or with me than I should give them the respect to shut my mouth and listen, or put my state of being in jeopardy.

Gabe: Throughout the book there was a law between Buck and humans. This law gave humans great power over Buck. This was the law of “Club and Fang.” Buck finds out early in the book that he is out-matched when he is up against a human with a club. He is beaten, his viciousness isn’t enough to stop a human from beating him. In the book, Buck is beaten when he tries to attack the man in the red sweater. This puts Buck into place saying almost man can be killed. But later, Buck finds out that humans without their clubs are just as easy to kill as rabbits. Heck, dogs are harder to kill than humans.

I think that the “law of club and fang” is like a king and his subjects. A king is a very powerful man and can put his subjects to death, if he wishes, but strip away that power and he is just another mortal man, as easy to kill as the rest. This is what I think that the law means. I also think that the club represents absolute power and order.

Cameron: The “Law of Club and Fang“ is what the sled dogs lived by. The Law of Club and Fang is a way of life: kill or be killed, survival of the fittest, you have to prove yourself worthy to work in the group or even to eat. Many dogs that did not adapt to this law fast enough would be killed because they could not defend themselves. “The Club” is your master, who you have to obey or you'll be beat by his club. “The Fang” is the other dogs, who you have to prove yourself worthy to be among.

Buck was introduced to this law on the day he landed in that frozen wasteland. The other dogs jumped him and he lost a friend. Buck proved himself after he realized this place was nothing like Santa Clara Valley.

The “Law of Club and Fang” represented how harsh the new land was and the hardships Buck had to go through to obtain the status of “Top Dog.” It was these challenges that formed Buck into the great dog he became.