Call Of The Wild Theme Essay

n the Call of the Wild a major theme was the idea of "survival of the fittest". This theme really describes what the book, Call of the Wild is about because dogs are being sold to be sled dogs, so people can use them as transportation for the gold rush in the Klondike. Buck was one of these dogs and he experienced many things on this journey with meeting new dogs and having new owners, all the while being pushed to be a sled dog even in the harshest of conditions. The dogs were not the only ones that has the idea of "survival of the fittest," it was also the humans and people in this book experiencing it. In this essay you will see the meaning of the idea "survival of the fittest," and the people it affects, along with who succeeded, and who didn't.

"Survival of the fittest" can mean lots of things, but one of the most important meanings is how the dogs and people try to survive using strategies and experience, to be able to survive through the harsh conditions of the wild. The people and dogs that are successful, are the ones that know and sense danger, and the ones that are careful and hardworking at the same time. Buck, for

example, knew about the danger of stepping on that ice, so he refused to go which actually saved his life, and cost all the other dogs their lives including a couple humans, Hal, Charles, and Mercedes. "Survival of the fittest" doesn't always mean the physical part but the mental part, along with the personality of that dog or animal. Spike, had a cocky personality and was always willing to fight because he assumed he would always win, but of course that wasn't always the cause after Buck fought Spike. Buck won, while Spike was no longer the leader, or even part of the dogs because he was dead. So having the right kind of personality is key in surviving especially when with other dogs. Humans are also impacted by this because Hal, Charles, and Mercedes were careless, inexperienced, and dumb when it came to knowing how to lead a dog sled. This is proven by the amount of food given to the dogs, to much and than to less, and also by loading up the sled with lots of thing, making it super hard to carry especially for he dogs who were carrying all of the load.

"Survival of the fittest" can mean a great deal for dogs especially because the dogs have to be able to know how to do things in the wild.

Buck, after learning from Pike how to steal food, mimicked him in doing so. This proves that Buck was smart on being able to pick up on how to survive, but it also shows what needs to happen for survival. Buck also knew how to suck water from ice, sense the weather, and things like that which helped him in the long run. Also with being a sled dog, it's important to be knowledgeable about the land, be able to be a good leader, and to be able to fight other dogs and people in order to help yourself. Buck fought to be a lead dog after Spike died. Buck didn't give up until he was the lead dog. He knew that's what he was meant to do .Buck was all of these things which is why he was a very successful sled

dog.

"Survival of the fittest" can also mean a great deal for humans as well as dogs. Humans need to have the experience and knowledge of what they are doing. The master of the dogs have to be smart, when handling dogs and also when enough is enough when pushing the dogs. The masters have a lot of responsibility and if they can't handle that then they shouldn't take the role of being a master. The master's also have to be loving along with with being powerful and direct to the dogs. The dogs will also want to rebel if they have a master who doesn't have a love for them and also doesn't care if they are overworked and underfeed. John Thornton was a totally different than Charles, Mercedes, and Hal. While John Thornton was a loving, nice person, along with being experienced, the family of Charles, Mercedes, and Hal were totally the complete opposite. First of all, the family had no experience in leading a dog sled. They over packed, making the sled super heavy and on top of that Mercedes being the whiny women she is, insisted on being on the sled too, making the dogs have to pull a sled with extreme weight for long distances at a time which they were never meant to do. John Thornton on the other hand, saved Buck. Buck and Thornton had a great love for each other. Buck would go great distances to save Thornton like at the bar and the river. Buck would not let his master go out of sight.

"Survival of the fittest" meant lots of things including the act of being able to survive and using strategies and experience to their advantage. This idea also did't just mean the act of being able to survive but also the mental way on how to survive. This idea isn't just meant for the sled dogs but also the humans. Buck was able to survive, even though most people he came across didn't. He learned how to survive, which lead him to joining the pack of wolves.