Characters
Who is Buck at the beginning vs. the end?
At the beginning Buck was a pet and had no survival instincts but at the end of the story Buck was strong and adapted to the wild like a wolf.
What was the Klondike Gold Rush?
It was the gold Rush in the Yukon.
Why is Buck stolen?
Buck was stolen to pay off Marley's gambling debts.
What is "the law of club and fang"?
That he was supposed to obey the man with the club and fight whenever he was getting fought.
What is true authority?
True authority is where you are fair to people and not being harsher to one person then another.
Who is Spitz and why is he a poor leader?
Spitz was the lead dog for Francois and Perrault. Spitz was aggressive and cruel.
Why were sled dogs valuable?
Sled dogs were valuable because they were what pulled your sled across the Yukon.
What happens to Curly?
She got jumped by all the other dogs and eaten.
What does leadership mean in this novel?
It meant that you were the strongest out of the dogs and knew how to shape other dogs.
How does Buck show responsibility?
Buck shows responsibility by adapting to the harsh environment and not complaining and giving up when he had to work hard.
John Thornton was the only person in the North that Buck truly loved and it showed that Buck even though he was mistreated still could love.
How does the environment affect survival?
There was limited food supply so they had to steal food from each other and it was cold so they had to sleep in the snow.
How does Buck become leader?
Buck killed Spitz who was the past leader.
How does Buck learn wisdom?
He learns wisdom from the harsh experiences in the Yukon like the law of club and fang.
Where do we see justice?
We see justice when the man with the red sweater hits Buck with a club every time Buck lashes out at him or does something wrong.
What role does Judge Miller play?
He was Buck's first owner and treated him well. He plays the role of peace and safety before Buck goes North.
What dangers exist in the Yukon?
Frozen lakes that you can fall through. The extreme cold. And the limited food.
Why does Buck refuse to pull the sled?
He didn't pull the sled because he knew that the ice was too thin and dangerous and that he knew everyone else was exhausted.
What is the "call of the wild"?
The call of the wild is the pull Buck feels from nature to become more like a wolf.
How does memory shape Buck's actions?
Buck remembers the law of the club so every time he saw someone with the club in the Yukon he obeyed them.
Why do Hal, Charles, and Mercedes fail?
They were inexperienced in the North and were selfish and unprepared. They made the dogs work all the time and made them pull necessarily heavy sleds.
Why is setting crucial to the story?
It shows a harsh coldness challenge that the dogs have to live through.
What happens after Thornton's death?
Buck becomes very angry at the Yeehats and attacks them.
How does Buck's journey end?
His journey ends when he fully becomes a wolf and attacks the Yeehats.
How does Buck's journey relate to vocation?
Buck's journey to become a wolf signifies God calling us to become disciples of him.