Adaptation In Jack London's The Call Of The Wild

Evolution, species adapting to their environments, is a controversial topic. Almost weekly evolution is debated, exclaimed, advocated, extolled, condemned, persecuted, and even damned by scientists, educators, ministers, politicians, and a myriad of others in our society. It has been this way since Charles Darwin first introduced the theory in his book The Origin of Species over 150 years ago. But perhaps no literary work portrays it as blatantly as Jack London’s classic The Call of the Wild. Although the book has many themes, it’s main theme is that physical, social, and psychological adaptation is necessary for survival as demonstrated by Buck’s struggles in the book.

Buck physically adapts to the three major settings of the book because he must to survive at Judge Miller’s, on the trail, and in the wild. First, for example, at Judge Miller’s Buck “saves” himself physically from getting soft by going hunting and participating in other “outdoor delights” to keep his fat down and harden his muscles. Also, on the trail, Buck’s digestive tract adapts to his small daily rations by extracting every particle of nutrition from his diet and using it to its utmost efficiency throughout his body. Lastly, in the wild Buck adapts physically to being a hunter by enduring the

long chase after the moose until he finally wears him down, kills him, and eats him.
Buck socially adapts to the same three major settings because he must if he’s to survive.

First, for instance, on Judge Miller’s Buck adapts to his role as King by accompanying the Judge’s sons on their hunts, his daughters on the walks, and the Judge’s grandsons in their play to perform his role as King and lord protector of his realm. Next, Buck adapts on the trail by quickly learning how to pull the dogsled so that he earns the respect of the other sled dogs and his masters so that he can survive on the trail. Lastly, in the wild Buck adapts to the rules of the wolf pack when he must use his physical prowess to earn his way into the wolf pack where one must prove himself by fighting and

surviving.
Finally, Buck adapts psychologically in all three settings because he must to survive. First, for example, at Judge Miller’s Buck must train himself to simply ignore the other dogs on the ranch such as Toots and Ysable, the house pets, and the numerous fox terriers if he’s to maintain his position as the King of the estate. Also, on the trail Buck must switch psychologically from being just a member of the sled dog team to its leader after killing Spitz, which includes disciplining the other dogs that he had formerly been their equal in rank. Lastly, in the wild Buck must become a hunter and killer if he’s to survive the Yeehats, who want to avenge themselves on him, and to rise to the leadership of the wolf pack, which improves the breed of timber wolves in their struggle for survival.
Of course, The Call of the Wild is a work of fiction and not a scientific treatise proving the theory of evolution. However, Buck’s physical, social, and psychological adaptations on Judge Miller’s estate, on the Klondike trail, and in the wild, is an example of how adaptation is necessary for survival, or as Charles Darwin phrased it “the survival of the fittest.”