The Call Of The Wild Analysis

Depending on the author, there are some who are immediately identified by their specific style of writing, others by the themes they use. In The Call of the Wild, one of the themes Jack London uses is the theory "the survival of the fittest." This theory, developed by Charles Darwin is based on the idea that those who are strong and who are able to adapt to their environment are the ones who will survive. Throughout the pages, the reader sees the mentality that is adopted of "kill or be killed" and the story is told of how Buck goes through a transformation from ranch pet to a dog of the wilderness, in a quest to answer the call of the wild.

The first example of this struggle is shown when Buck is taken from his pleasant and easy life in Judge Miller's home and put in the harsh and wild Klondike. The only reason he survives after being taken away is because he was genetically better suited for the surroundings than the other dogs. Although he wasn't accustomed to many of the new ways of behaving, London wanted to prove that they came naturally for Buck because of his ancestors. To make his way to the top Buck must give up his old way of life and leisure that he once had, ultimately transforming himself from a tame dog to a wild one. In chapter 2, Buck's friend Curly is killed immediately after they get off the boat. At first, Buck is alarmed, but the alarm turns into a realization that he can never let that happen to him "Once down, that was the end of you. Well, he would see to it that he never went down." (31) This glimpse of what could happen to him if he was to let his guard down was the first step on the road to simply surviving in the harsh world he is thrown into. Yet another important piece in the novel is Bucks conflict with Spitz. Their relationship is a prime example of the aforementioned struggle because Spitz has declared himself the leader and desires to never relinquish his position. Despite his