The Call of the Wild is the first novel that I’ve read. This novel taught me how important of relationship between humans and animals is. I learned that you have to use your own feet and don’t rely on others to survive. Also, the lesson that I can take from this novel is that never give up, you have to push yourself until you achieve your goal and you can be a good leader even if you are different from them. It is about how important nature and society are.
Artistry
The Call of the Wild by Jack London is about a dog, named Buck who is kidnapped from his lush California home and sold to prospectors, who then take him to Alaska and northern Canada to navigate the frigid paths. This novel focuses on Buck, who is initially changed into a sled dog, who battles with the call of nature and the urge to abandon all human connection in the story. Also, it describes the conflict between civilization and nature. The fact that the novel is based on the author's life adds to the book's aesthetic value and attractiveness to readers. “Old longings nomadic leap, Chafing at custom’s chain; Again, from its brumal sleep, Wakens the ferine strain.”
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This is the opening epigraph in the story which is from the poem “Atavism” by John Myers O’Hara where it describes the rising of wild nature, foreshadows Buck's adventure with his wilder side, and sets the tone for the rest of the novel.
Suggestiveness
This novel has a message, symbolism, and meaning for us. In the first phase, which deals with the journey and self-discovery, the imagery and symbols show physical violence, with powerful images of a and blood. Then, as Buck gets dangerously near to being murdered, exhaustion becomes a prominent visual and death becomes a strong metaphor. In the spring, it is the time of rejuvenation and rebirth. Symbolism is when Buck is placed in a huge and 'strange environment,” which means a zone of utter emptiness, where he entirely reverts to nature.
In the story, the characters are symbolic too. John Thornton and his friends represent faithfulness, purity, and love. On the other hand, vanity and ignorance are represented by Charles, Mercedes, and Hal. Also, Buck symbolizes loyalty and strength because he never fails to return to Thornton and he does not give up and survives from starvation.
Intellectual Values
The story provides a message to us. It tells us that we must always follow our instinct, mind, and heart. Always believe in yourself when making a decision. The novel, in the first chapter “Into the Primitive”, tells how Buck was sold by the gardener named Manuel for money, and departed into Seattle. After that, Buck was released in a cage and he leaped into the man but he was beaten so that he was hurt and confused. The law of Club and Fang taught him how to live in the wild and how to follow directions.
From that, we can conclude that Buck became aware of his surroundings and Buck learned that human beings can be the enemy. From that day, there’s a French-Canadian named Perrault who buys Buck. In this chapter, Buck realizes that this is his initial step toward a new life, away from his old one. Also, it talks about Buck's escape from society and entry into a more savage, primal environment, as well as the contrast between civilized and rustic existence.
Spiritual Value
The story has many lessons for us. It concerns humanity's connection to nature's basic parts, as well as how our relationship with society has harmed that vital link. There's something almost supernatural about that connection, when a person may grasp his power and soul. All of us, people or animals, have to cope with the realities of both good and evil as they exist in the world. We can learn and change through varied experiences and we can learn from our mistakes and that mistakes can transform us. Also, always love your partner because they are the one who cares for you. In the story, when Buck rewards John Thornton with undying love and devotion because he is the first one to offer him any sympathy. Buck is enjoying a kind of prelapsarian existence with Thornton as if all the brutality of the actual world has been wiped away. From the Call of the Wild, there’s a line saying that “Love, genuine passionate love, was his for the first time.”
From the story, Buck has multiple masters, Buck had never experienced love from Judge Miller, and John Thornton is the one who accepts Buck. For Buck, Thornton is his ideal master and it symbolizes the ideal relationship between man and dog.
Permanence
From the novel, everyone can relate to the story. In the story, in Chapter 7, when Thornton is killed by the Yeehats tribe, Buck immediately revenge and attacks all the Yeehats. After that, Buck returns to his best friend Thornton's body to mourn. It shows how loyal Buck is to Thornton. Jack London emphasizes the intensity of Buck's link with John Thornton and the primitive nature of the man-dog interaction. After the incident, Buck was fully wild and he will no longer trust humans. Just like in our life, if our friends or family get hurt by someone, we tend to fight back because we love them. Life is a battle between good and bad.
Universality
The novel is open to everyone. It is accessible to anyone regardless of, age, culture, race, or other factors. For Jack London, this novel is described in simple terms and will appeal to people of all ages. The Call of the Wild is good to read because it has lessons that can apply in our lives like respect for nature, respect for authority, and adaptability.
Style
The Call of the Wild is a fictional adventure novel. Jack London spent time in the Yukon, Canada before writing this work, so his descriptions are authentic and realistic. The setting of The Call of the Wild is Alaska where there is a hard and intriguing natural environment, it is easy to inspire deep urban people with a great feeling of awe of nature, and then the primordial need to battle it. The Call of the Wild is good for the family, they will enjoy the novel even if it has violence, mild language, and thematic elements.
The story was written as a frontier adventure, and it was structured in such a way that it could be serialized. Jack London incorporates his own emotions and real-life experiences into the work so that the readers may better identify with the hero's journey through this metaphor and perspective. Because of that, London’s work makes it attractive and unique.
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