Vocabulary
Define exploit
a heroic act or deed
How much weight does Thornton claim that Buck can start?
1000lbs
Who bet $1000 that Buck could not start the sled?
Matthewson
Answers vary
What is the MAIN setting of The Call of the Wild?
Yukon Territory
Define melancholy
sadness/gloomy
T/F: Thornton and the men do not find the spot they were looking for.
TRUE
T/F: Thornton and the men do not discover gold.
FALSE
How is "The Membership of the Individual in the Group" a theme within the novel?
When Buck arrives in the wild, his primordial instincts do not awaken immediately, and he requires a great deal of external help before he is suited to life there. Help arrives in realizations about the very different rules that govern the world outside of civilization, but also in the support of the pack of which he becomes a part. Two dogs in particular, Dave and Sol-leks, after having established their seniority, instruct Buck in the intricacies of sled pulling. Furthermore, the group members take pride in their work, even though they are serving men. When they make trips in good time, they congratulate themselves—they all participate in a common enterprise.
When was the Klondike Gold Rush (relevant to year of story)
1890s
Define transient
not lasting long
When Thornton falls into the rapids
Buck risks his life and is able to save him after several attempts
Skeet and Nig are
friendly and welcoming towards Buck
How is "The Laws of Civilization and of Wilderness" a theme within the novel?
While the two lives that Buck leads stand in stark contrast to each other, this contrast does not go unchallenged throughout the novel. His life with Judge Miller is leisurely, calm, and unchallenging, while his transition to the wilderness shows him a life that is savage, frenetic, and demanding. While it would be tempting to assume that these two lives are polar opposites, events later in the novel show some ways in which both the wild and civilization have underlying social codes, hierarchies, and even laws.
What influences from the author are in this novel?
As a young man of 19, London was one of hundreds who rushed up north in hopes of making it rich. He based this story on his experience during that time, which set the scene for the novel.
Define convalescence
regain strength gradually
When Buck goes on a killing spree, the Yeehats believe he is
an evil spirit
Why did Buck love John Thornton more than any of his previous masters?
Thornton is the ideal master
How is "The Power of Ancestral Memory and Primitive Instincts" a theme within the novel?
The novel suggests that his success in the frozen North is not merely a matter of learning the ways of the wild; rather, Buck gradually recovers primitive instincts and memories that his wild ancestors possessed, which have been buried as dogs have become civilized creatures.
His connection to his ancestral identity is thus more than instinctual; it is mystical. The civilized world, which seems so strong, turns out to be nothing more than a thin veneer, which is quickly worn away to reveal the ancient instincts lying dormant underneath. Buck hears the call of the wild, and London implies that, in the right circumstances, we might hear it too.
Who is the man in the red sweater?
A man who beats Buck with a club. He is responsible for breaking in new dogs and teaches Buck not to challenge a man with a club.
Define Calamity
An event causing great harm
Who are Charles and Hal?
These two men, who are brothers-in-law, buy Buck and his team from the Scot. They are inexperienced, selfish men searching for gold, hoping to get rich.
For a long time after his rescue, Buck did not like Thornton to get out of his sight because
he was afraid Thornton would pass out of his life
How is "The Indispensable Struggle for Mastery" a theme within the novel?
London is not content to make the struggle for survival the central theme of his novel; instead, his protagonist struggles toward a higher end, namely mastery. We see this struggle particularly in Buck’s conflict with Spitz, in his determination to become the lead dog on Francois and Perrault’s team, and, at the end of the novel, in the way that he battles his way to the leadership of the wolf pack. Buck does not merely want to survive; he wants to dominate—as do his rivals, dogs like Spitz.
What year was this book PUBLISHED?
1903