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Free Essay: The Call of the Wild is a book that follows a dog named Buck throughout his journey from the soft and civilized world to the harsh Alaskan.
Publication date1903Media typePrint (, & )Pages232 (First edition)Followed byThe Call of the Wild is a short adventure novel by, published in 1903 and set in, during the 1890s, when strong were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named Buck. The story opens at a ranch in, when Buck is stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in.
He becomes progressively feral in the harsh environment, where he is forced to fight to survive and dominate other dogs. By the end, he sheds the veneer of civilization, and relies on primordial instinct and learned experience to emerge as a leader in the wild.London spent almost a year in the Yukon, and his observations form much of the material for the book.
The story was serialized in in the summer of 1903 and was published later that year in book form. The book's great popularity and success made a reputation for London. As early as 1923, the story was adapted to film, and it has since seen several more cinematic adaptations.
Miners carry gear up the to reach theCalifornia native had traveled around the United States as a, returned to California to finish high school (he dropped out at age 14), and spent a year in college at, when in 1897 he went to the Klondike by way of Alaska during the height of the. Later, he said of the experience: 'It was in the Klondike I found myself.' He left California in July and traveled by boat to, where he landed and went inland. To reach the gold fields, he and his party transported their gear over the, often carrying loads as heavy as 100 pounds (45 kg) on their backs.
They were successful in staking claims to eight gold mines along the.London stayed in the Klondike for almost a year, living temporarily in the frontier town of, before moving to a nearby winter camp, where he spent the winter in a temporary shelter reading books he had brought: 's and 's. In the winter of 1898, Dawson City was a city comprising about 30,000 miners, a saloon, an opera house, and a street of brothels. Buck proves himself as leader of the pack when he fights Spitz 'to the death'.The Call of the Wild falls into the genre of animal fiction, in which an animal is and given human traits.
In the story, London attributes human thoughts and insights to Buck, so much so that when the story was published he was accused of being a for attributing 'unnatural' feelings to a dog. Along with his contemporaries and, London was influenced by the of European writers such as, in which themes such as heredity versus environment were explored. London's use of the genre gave it a new vibrancy, according to scholar Richard Lehan.The story is also an example of American —a prevailing theme in American literature—in which the mythic hero returns to nature. As with other characters of American literature, such as and, Buck symbolizes a reaction against industrialization and social convention with a return to nature.
London presents the simply, clearly, and powerfully in the story, a motif later echoed by 20th century American writers and (most notably in '). Says of the story that it is 'fervently American'.The enduring appeal of the story, according to American literature scholar, is that it is a combination of,. The story incorporates elements of age-old animal fables, such as, in which animals speak truth, and traditional beast fables, in which the beast 'substitutes wit for insight'. London was influenced by 's, written a few years earlier, with its combination of parable and animal fable, and by other animal stories popular in the early 20th century. In The Call of the Wild, London intensifies and adds layers of meaning that are lacking in these stories.As a writer London tended to skimp on form, according to biographer Labor, and neither The Call of the Wild nor 'is a conventional novel'. The story follows the archetypal 'myth of the hero'; Buck, who is the hero, takes a journey, is transformed, and achieves an. The format of the story is divided into four distinct parts, according to Labor.
In the first part, Buck experiences violence and struggles for survival; in the second part, he proves himself a leader of the pack; the third part brings him to his death (symbolically and almost literally); and in the fourth and final part, he undergoes rebirth. Themes London's story is a tale of survival and a return to. Pizer writes that: 'the strong, the shrewd, and the cunning shall prevail when. Life is bestial'.Pizer also finds evident in the story a Christian theme of love and redemption, as shown by Buck's refusal to revert to violence until after the death of Thornton, who had won Buck's love and loyalty. London, who went so far as to fight for custody of one of his own dogs, understood that loyalty between dogs (particularly working dogs) and their masters is built on trust and love.
The Call of the Wild (cover of the June 20, 1903 shown) is about the survival of the fittest.Writing in the 'Introduction' to the edition of The Call of the Wild, says the theme is based on 's concept of survival of the fittest. London places Buck in conflict with humans, in conflict with the other dogs, and in conflict with his environment—all of which he must challenge, survive, and conquer. Buck, a domesticated dog, must call on his hereditary traits to survive; he must learn to be wild to become wild, according to Tina Gianquitto. He learns that in a world where the 'club and the fang' are law, where the law of the pack rules and a good-natured dog such as Curly can be torn to pieces by pack members, that survival by whatever means is paramount.London also explores the idea of 'nature vs. Buck, raised as a pet, is by heredity a wolf. The change of environment brings up his innate characteristics and strengths to the point where he fights for survival and becomes leader of the pack. Pizer describes how the story reflects human nature in its prevailing theme of the strength, particularly in the face of harsh circumstances.The veneer of civilization is thin and fragile, writes Doctorow, and London exposes the brutality at the core of humanity and the ease with which humans revert to a state of primitivism.
His interest in is evident in the sub-theme that humanity is motivated by materialism; and his interest in philosophy is shown by Buck's characterization. Gianquitto writes that in Buck's characterization, London created a type of Nietschean – in this case a dog that reaches mythic proportions.Doctorow sees the story as a caricature of a – in which a character learns and grows – in that Buck becomes progressively less civilized.
Gianquitto explains that Buck has evolved to the point that he is ready to join a wolf pack, which has a social structure uniquely adapted to and successful in the harsh arctic environment, unlike humans, who are weak in the harsh environment. Old longings nomadic leap,Chafing at custom's chain;Again from its sleepWakens the strain., AtavismThe first chapter opens with the first quatrain of 's poem, Atavism, published in 1902 in.
The outlines one of the main motifs of The Call of the Wild: that Buck when removed from the 'sun-kissed' where he was raised, will revert to his wolf heritage with its innate instincts and characteristics.The themes are conveyed through London's use of symbolism and imagery which, according to Labor, vary in the different phases of the story. The imagery and symbolism in the first phase, to do with the journey and self-discovery, depict physical violence, with strong images of pain and blood. In the second phase, fatigue becomes a dominant image and death is a dominant symbol, as Buck comes close to being killed. The third phase is a period of renewal and rebirth and takes place in the spring, before ending with the fourth phase, when Buck fully reverts to nature is placed in a vast and 'weird atmosphere', a place of pure emptiness.The setting is allegorical.
The southern lands represent the soft, materialistic world; the north symbolizes a world beyond civilization and is inherently competitive. The harshness, brutality, and emptiness in Alaska reduce life to its essence, as London learned, and shows in Buck's story. Buck must defeat Spitz, the dog who symbolically tries to get ahead and take control. When Buck is sold to Charles, Hal, and Mercedes, he finds himself in a camp that is dirty. They treat their dogs badly; they are artificial interlopers in the pristine landscape.
Conversely, Buck's next masters, John Thornton, and his two companions are described as 'living close to the earth'. They keep a clean camp, treat their animals well, and represent man's nobility in nature. Unlike Buck, Thornton loses his fight with his fellow species, and not until Thornton's death does Buck revert fully to the wild and his primordial state.The characters too are symbolic of types. Charles, Hal, and Mercedes symbolize vanity and ignorance, while Thornton and his companions represent loyalty, purity, and love. Much of the imagery is stark and simple with an emphasis on images of cold, snow, ice, darkness, meat, and blood.London varied his prose style to reflect the action. He wrote in an over-affected style in his descriptions of Charles, Hal, and Mercedes' camp as a reflection of their intrusion in the wilderness. Conversely, when describing Buck and his actions, London wrote in a style that was pared down and simple—a style that would influence and be the forebear of Hemingway's style.The story was written as a frontier adventure and in such a way that it worked well as a serial.
As Doctorow points out, it is good episodic writing that embodies the style of magazine adventure writing popular in that period. 'It leaves us with satisfaction at its outcome, a story well and truly told,' he said. Cover of The Call of the Wild, published in 1952The Call of the Wild was enormously popular from the moment it was published. Wrote of London's story: 'No other popular writer of his time did any better writing than you will find in The Call of the Wild.' A reviewer for wrote of it in 1903: 'If nothing else makes Mr. London's book popular, it ought to be rendered so by the complete way in which it will satisfy the love of dog fights apparently inherent in every man.' The reviewer for wrote that it was a book: 'untouched by bookishness.The making and the achievement of such a hero Buck constitute, not a pretty story at all, but a very powerful one.'
The book secured London a place in the. The first printing of 10,000 copies sold out immediately; it is still one of the best known stories written by an American author, and continues to be read and taught in schools. It has been published in 47 languages. London's first success, the book secured his prospects as a writer and gained him a readership that stayed with him throughout his career.After the success of The Call of the Wild London wrote to Macmillan in 1904 proposing a second book ( ) in which he wanted to describe the opposite of Buck: a dog that transforms from wild to tame: 'I'm going to reverse the process.Instead of devolution of decivilization. I'm going to give the evolution, the civilization of a dog.'
Adaptations The first adaptation of London's story was a made in 1923. The starring and expanded John Thornton's role and was the first ' to feature the story. The 1972 movie, starring as John Thornton, was filmed in. The 1978 TV special is another adaptation. In 1981, an anime film titled was released, starring.
A 1996 adaptation called starred and was narrated. Said that 's adaptation was, '. A pleasant surprise.
Much more faithful to Jack London's 1903 classic than the two Hollywood versions.' A comic adaptation had been made in 1998 for magazine. Out of cultural sensitivities, the Yeehat Indians are omitted, and John Thornton's killers are now white criminals, who as before, are also killed by Buck.directed another film adaptation titled, a live-action/ film, released on February 21, 2020.
Stars as the lead role and portrays Buck through. References. Sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFLondon1903.,. Sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFLondon1903.
^, p. vi., p. 240., p. 240–241., p. 60. ^, pp. 16–17., pp. 294–295., p. 59., p. 301., p. 242., pp. 39–40. ^, p. 40., p. xi.
^, p. 61., p. 409., p. 201. London, Jack (1903). Illustrated by Philip R. Goodwin and Charles Livingston Bull (First ed.). MacMillan., pp. 108–109., p. 47. ^, p. 246–248. ^, p. xv., p. 107., p. 108., p. 38., pp. 41–46., p. 110.
^, pp. 109–110., p. xxiv., p. xvii. ^, p. xiii., pp. xx–xxi., p. 3., p. 293., pp. 41–45. ^, p. xiv., p. 302., pp. 302–303., p. xxii., p. 46.
Silent Hollywood.com., p. 298. Hunter, David (1997-02-10). 'The Call of the Wild'. P. 11. D'Alessandro, Anthony (12 October 2017).
Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 January 2018.Bibliography.
Benoit, Raymond (Summer 1968). 'Jack London's 'The Call of the Wild '. American Quarterly. The Johns Hopkins University Press. 20 (2): 246–248. Courbier-Tavenier, Jacqueline (1999). ' The Call of the Wild and The Jungle: Jack London and Upton Sinclair's Animal and Human Jungles'.
In Pizer, Donald (ed.). Cambridge Companion to American Realism and Naturalism: Howells to London. New York: Cambridge University Press.; London, Jack (1998). The Call of the Wild, White Fang & To Build a Fire.
The Modern Library hundred best novels of the twentieth century. 88 (reprint ed.). Doon, Ellen. 'Marshall Bond Papers'. New Haven, Conn, USA: Yale University.
Cite journal requires journal=. Dyer, Daniel (April 1988). 'Answering the Call of the Wild'. The English Journal. National Council of Teachers of English. 77 (4): 57–62.
Barnes & Noble (2003). ' 'Jack London' – Biographical Note'.
The Call of the Wild and White Fang. Barnes and Noble Classics. Introduction by Tina Giantquitto (reprint ed.). Barnes & Noble (2003).
' 'The World of Jack London '. The Call of the Wild and White Fang. Barnes and Noble Classics. Introduction by Tina Giantquitto (reprint ed.). CS1 maint: extra punctuation. Giantquitto, Tina (2003).
' 'Introduction '. The Call of the Wild and White Fang.
Barnes and Noble Classics. Introduction by Tina Giantquitto (reprint ed.). CS1 maint: extra punctuation. Giantquitto, Tina (2003).
' 'Endnotes '. The Call of the Wild and White Fang. Barnes and Noble Classics. Introduction by Tina Giantquitto (reprint ed.). CS1 maint: extra punctuation. Barnes & Noble (2003).
'Inspired by 'The Call of the Wild' and 'White Fang '. The Call of the Wild and White Fang. Barnes and Noble Classics. Introduction by Tina Giantquitto (reprint ed.). CS1 maint: extra punctuation. Barnes & Noble (2003). ' 'Comments and Questions '.
The Call of the Wild and White Fang. Barnes and Noble Classics. Introduction by Tina Giantquitto (reprint ed.).
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CS1 maint: extra punctuation. Lehan, Richard (1999). 'The European Background'. In Pizer, Donald (ed.).
Cambridge Companion to American Realism and Naturalism: Howells to London. New York: Cambridge University Press. August 1, 1903. Retrieved August 28, 2012. Labor, Earle; Reesman, Jeanne Campbell (1994). Twayne's United States authors series.
230 (revised, illustrated ed.). New York: Twayne Publishers.
(1903). (1998). The Call of the Wild, White Fang & To Build a Fire. The Modern Library hundred best novels of the twentieth century. Introduction by (reprint ed.). Modern Library (1998). ' 'Jack London' – Biographical Note'.
The Call of the Wild, White Fang & To Build a Fire. The Modern Library hundred best novels of the twentieth century. Introduction by (reprint ed.).
Pizer, Donald (1983). 'Jack London: The Problem of Form'. Studies in the Literary Imagination. 16 (2): 107–115. Smith, Geoffrey D. (August 13, 1997). Cambridge University Press.
Retrieved August 28, 2012. The call of the wild. Retrieved October 26, 2012.Further reading. Fusco, Richard.
'On Primitivism in The Call of the Wild. American Literary Realism, 1870–1910. 1 (Fall, 1987), pp. 76–80. McCrum, Robert.
'The 100 best novels: No 35 – The Call of the Wild by Jack London (1903)'. The Guardian. Retrieved 5 September 2015.External links has original text related to this article.
3.5There is definitely half the story missing here. The half that I experienced is fascinating; I want to know so much more about the two wanderers! There is an energy of 'what's the difference between right and wrong, truly, with imperfect, suffering, grasping for love, humans?' I see (over at mangaupdates.com) that there is another manga with a cover that has these two characters on it, but, like most of the works by this intensely intriguing mangaka who seems to specialize in historical and 3.5There is definitely half the story missing here. The half that I experienced is fascinating; I want to know so much more about the two wanderers! There is an energy of 'what's the difference between right and wrong, truly, with imperfect, suffering, grasping for love, humans?' I see (over at mangaupdates.com) that there is another manga with a cover that has these two characters on it, but, like most of the works by this intensely intriguing mangaka who seems to specialize in historical and risky FEELZ stories, it is untranslated.
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