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The call of the wild

Written by Jack London

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Adventure storiesDogsAnimal welfareFeral dogsKlondike River Valley (Yukon)Nature storiesPet theft

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About this book

"The Call of the Wild" by Jack London is a novel written in the late 19th century, during the time of the Klondike Gold Rush. The story revolves around Buck, a domesticated St. Bernard-Scotch Shepherd mix, who is thrust into the brutal and primal world of the Yukon wilderness, forced to shed his civilized upbringing and adapt to a harsh life of survival. The opening of the book introduces Buck, who lives a comfortable life as a pet in Judge Miller's home in the Santa Clara Valley. However, his idyllic existence comes to an end when he is kidnapped by Manuel, a gardener's helper with gambling debts. Buck is soon transported to the north, where he faces mistreatment and a stark new reality. The narrative sets the stage for Buck's transformation from a pampered pet to a fierce survivor, illustrating the conflict between civilization and the primal instincts that begin to awaken within him as he navigates life in a wild, unforgiving landscape.

Reading guide

Themes, characters and key ideas in The call of the wild, written by Chaptra AI.

  • about 8 hours
  • intermediate
  • brutal
  • adventurous
  • primal

Jack London's "The Call of the Wild" chronicles the dramatic transformation of Buck, a pampered St. Bernard-Scotch Shepherd, from a domesticated pet in California to a fierce, primal leader of a wolf pack in the Yukon wilderness. Kidnapped and thrust into the brutal world of the Klondike Gold Rush, Buck endures cruelty, starvation, and relentless labor, forcing him to shed his civilized veneer and embrace his ancestral instincts. The narrative vividly depicts his struggle for survival, his rivalry with other dogs, and his profound bond with John Thornton, the one human who treats him with kindness. Ultimately, Buck answers the irresistible 'call of the wild,' fully reverting to his primordial self and becoming a legendary figure in the Northland.

“"The law of club and fang." ”

Key themes

The Call of the Wild / Primitivism
This central theme explores the reawakening of primal instincts within Buck. Stripped of civilization's comforts and constraints, Buck gradually sheds his domesticated nature, responding to the innate, ancestral urges for survival, dominance, and freedom in the wilderness. It suggests that these instincts lie dormant within all beings, waiting for the right conditions to emerge.
Survival of the Fittest / Naturalism
London, a naturalist, depicts the Yukon as a harsh, indifferent environment where only the strongest, most cunning, and most adaptable creatures survive. This theme is illustrated through the constant struggles for food, warmth, and dominance among the dogs, and the unforgiving consequences faced by those, like Hal, Charles, and Mercedes, who are ill-equipped for the wilderness.
Civilization vs. Wilderness
This is the overarching conflict of the novel, manifested in Buck's journey. It contrasts the artificiality, comfort, and moral codes of domesticated life with the raw, brutal, yet ultimately freeing existence in the wild. Buck's transformation illustrates the tension between learned behavior and inherent instinct, and questions which state is more 'natural' or 'authentic'.

Worth discussing

How does Buck's transformation reflect London's naturalistic philosophy and the concept of 'survival of the fittest'?

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