Character Analysis of the Call of the Wild.

2281 Words5 Pages

Jack London wrote the novel The Call of the Wild; it was also his first success (Feast). The Call of the Wild is an exciting beast fable which dramatizes the unforgiving harshness of existence but shows that suffering can lead to heroic self-awareness (Buckner). London was big on the philosophical idea of Naturalism. As well as having links with literary naturalism, "The Call of the Wild is also a mythical book informed throughout with such traditional myths as the Myth of the Hero." Although Buck is always a dog throughout the story, his predicament is highly relevant to the human condition in a novel beginning with concise patterns of description and moving toward an increasingly lyrical style (Williams). The protagonist of The Call of the Wild is a dog named Buck. He's part German Sheppard and half Saint Bernard, he's labeled the "hero" of the story. The story takes place primarily in the Klondike region of Alaska except for in the first chapter it takes place in the Santa Clara Valley of California. The story is centrally focused around Buck; if it wasn't for him not having any speaking parts the reader would think he was a human because of the personality traits he possesses. In this paper we will discuss traits such as Buck's ability to adapt, Buck's bravery, his mental and physical strength, his loyalty and love and his instinct of the wild.
First, we're going to talk about Buck's strength through the things that he faces and how he adapts to the circumstances. Being that Buck's character doesn't have any speaking parts one get a true sense of how Buck feels through the imagery throughout the story As the story begins we meet Buck, who is a spoiled, carefree and loved pet to Judge Miller in the "sun-kissed" Santa Clara val...

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...ion Series (1991): 1-2. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Chen, Grace. "Chivalrous Behavior." : Chivalrous Behavior of "The Call of the Wild"N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Feast, James. "The Call Of The Wild." Magill’S Survey Of American Literature, Revised Edition (2006): 1-2. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Foden, Simon. "Dogs and Tactile Communication." Dog Care. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
London, Jack. The Call of the Wild. New York: Macmillan, 1963. Print.
Kelchner, Heidi. "The Call Of The Wild." Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-4. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Webster, Noah. "Bravery." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Williams, Tony. "The Call Of The Wild: A Naturalistic Romance." Studies In Short Fiction 32.2 (1995): 279. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

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