Comparing The Character Of Buck In Jack London's Call Of The Wild

In the life of Buck in the story of Call of the wild by Jack London, humans are never really kind to the animals they take care of and often abuse them, but Buck finds one man who truly loves him. Throughout his journeys, Buck realises that being respected like he was in his old life with Judge Miller isn’t the only thing that can be given and definitely not enough compared to the love he found through John Thornton. First, Buck is regarded as king of his land, then put to work as if he is a present, and finally found by a man who loves him.
In the beginning, Buck lived the life of a king with a royal life and enjoied it because he knew nothing else except respect. Buck was happy and content without knowing about real love care. “And over this
great demesne Buck ruled. Here he was born, and here he had lived the four years of his life.” (London, ch. 1 pg. 1) Within the limited people Buck knew at the time of living at the Judge's place treated him like just companion and no one showed him different. Buck is used as a toy for the Grandchildren, a work dog for the boys, and a companion for Judge. “...went hunting with the Judge’s sons; he escorted Mollie and Alice, the Judge’s daughters… he carried the Judge’s grandsons on his back…” (London ch. 1 pg. 2) Buck is used by each person for their own needs because they see him as an animal. When the gardener, Manuel, takes Buck away to sell him, Buck is surprised at how he is treated. “But to his surprise, the rope tightened around his neck, shutting off his breath.” (London Ch. 1 Pg. 2) Buck trusted the gardener and was always treated just the same by him as anyone else so when Manuel gave him to a man he didn’t know, Buck learned a new kind of treatment: cruelty. Since Buck knew nothing but the respect he grew up with, he didn’t understand the cruelty that Manuel brought him and continually hoped it would soon be back in the form of the Judge or one of the boys.
With hope of rescue and restoration to his kingdom of respect and comfort dwindling, Buck is forced to accept that he will just have to survive the new way the new people treat him. Buck only takes what is needed to survive, no more, no less, leaving him to obey but never subdue to man or dog. “...a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed, though not necessarily conciliated.” (London ch. 1 pg 5) Buck doesn’t want to need to bow down to the men or dogs who treat Buck bad. At first when Buck is bought and joins a pack of sled dogs, he plays it safe until he know what position he can take, quickly learning the law of club and fang. “There was imperative need to be constantly alert; for these dogs and men were not town dogs and men. They were savages, all of them, who knew no law but the law of club and fang.” (London ch. 2 pg. 1) Buck does this to ensure that he has authority and safety from the top dogs, making sure to never get into fights unless he can’t avoid them. With dimwitted owners that push all of their dogs too hard, Buck is soon exhausted and in need of better treatment when he is saved by John Thornton, but he can’t understand why this man would risk his life for a dog. “Thornton stood between him and Buck and evinced no intention of getting out of the way. Hal drew his long hunting knife.” (London ch. 5 pg. 8)Buck has convinced himself that because of the extremely poor treatment he has been given up to this point, all humans only give harsh treatments so when Thornton almost got harmed saving his life, Buck realised their was still some good in at least this human. Buck starts to understand the new ways people treat him now, and understands the dogs, but is unaware of what a loving relationship is because he has never had one with any of his previous owners.
Buck starts to understand the new ways people treat him now, and understands the dogs, but is unaware of what a loving relationship is because he has never had one with any of his previous owners.
Buck has never experienced love, but when he does with Thornton he hears mean words as love words, strong strokes as love pets, and the other dogs as threats. “He had a way of taking Buck’s head roughly between his hands, and resting his own head upon Buck’s, of shaking him back and forth, the while calling him ill names that to Buck were love names.” (London ch. 6 pg. 2) Since Buck is experiencing love for the first time, he takes everything from John Thornton as a love gesture because he sees Thornton as love. Buck becomes very protective of Thornton, not letting him leave his sight and keeping anyone he doesn’t like away from Thornton. “...Buck did not like Thornton to get out of his sight. From the moment he left the tent to when he entered it again, Buck would follow at his heels.” (London ch. 6 pg. 2) Buck does this because he is afraid of losing him and having to go back to his old life. Buck saved John Thornton's life multiple times, defending him in a bar fight and dragging him out of a river. “Burton struck out, without warning… Thornton was sent spinning… they saw Buck’s body rise up in the air as he left the floor for Burton’s throat.” (London ch. 6 pg. 3) Buck would die for Thornton to live because Buck has his own love and it is so strong that he could move one thousand pounds. After leaving a decent owner then going through many terrible and harmful owners, Buck finally finds a great owner that he is determined to
keep.
After all of his journeys, Buck learns that being loved is better than only knowing respect and definitely worth going through the pain the owners he had in the past gave him. Regarded as royalty in his land, Buck was thrown into cruelty that led to him finding love from a man who risked his life to save him. In conclusion, Buck faced many different ways of how animals all over the world are treated by many different people.