What Is Spitz's Role In The Call Of The Wild

The Call of the Wild, by Jack London, starts with a dog named Buck who lives a privileged life in Santa Clara Valley, California during the time of the Klondike Gold Rush. This period raises the demand for strong dogs putting Buck in danger. One day, Buck gets kidnapped and is shipped off to some dog traders where Buck’s taught the Law of Club. He is bought by two Canadian government mailmen and brought to the Klondike where he learns the Laws of Fang and revives lost instincts from his ancestors. During this, he develops a rivalry with a fellow dog named Spitz, the leader of the group. Accordingly, Buck fights and kills Spitz, becoming the new lead dog. The team makes record way and is sold to a Scottish half-breed who overworks them on more

The first example found on Nietzsche’s Superman Theory is when Buck is beaten by the man in the red sweater. “The lesson was driven home to Buck: a man with a club was a law-giver, a master to be obeyed” (London 6). To Buck, the man in the red sweater is above him, better than him and Buck learns that through many beatings. Another example is when Buck takes Spitz’s role as leader. In this case, Spitz originally was the leader, greatly due to his bullying. But when Buck comes and becomes stronger, Spitz’s leadership becomes undermined, especially when Buck sides with the other dogs. Eventually, Buck beats Spitz become the new leader. He enforces this by doing an even better job than Spitz but without the bullying. It shows how Buck is a “Superman” in his own doggy way. The last example is when Buck attacks the Yeehats at the end of the book. To them, he is a Superman since he gives them all a beating. He kills many of them and they get “scattered far and wide over the country” (London 60) that they did not gather till a week later. After Buck joins the pack, the Yeehats even give Buck the name of the Ghost Dog which shows how much the Yeehats revered Buck. It also signals that Buck/Ghost Dog is a Superman to