Nature In The Call Of The Wild
Prompt 3: How important is the setting (time and place) to this novel? Could the story have taken place in a different setting? Why or why not? Cite evidence from the text and explain your reasoning.
In The Call of the Wild a dog named Buck is stolen from "the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley" (p. 25) of California and is pressed into servitude in "the Frozen North." (p.27) In this new land Buck slowly transforms from a privileged companion of a wealthy Judge into a tough, sinewy sled-dog that has mastery of his extreme environment.
Thesis: The time-period and setting of The Call of the Wild serves to create the central naturalistic theme of man vs. nature. Although the story could have taken place in another harsh environment it would not …show more content…
nature is a prominent one as Buck struggles against his harsh, new environment. In the northern Klondike, starvation and sub-zero temperatures forces both man and beast to take drastic measures in order to survive. As this story takes place in the 19th century, the living conditions are exceedingly primitive, with men dying from starvation and cold on a near daily basis. Buck is not immune to such obstacles and only survives them with sheer determination and a will to live. One instance of Buck pitted against his environment took place when his new, inexperienced masters failed to bring enough food for a week-long journey. The owners treat the dogs harshly, pushing them towards there destination without much concern over their health or wellbeing. Adding upon this "the dog-food gave out" (p. 88) and the team of sled-dogs wasted away into "perambulating skeletons." (p. 89) "In their great misery they...[become] insensible to the bite of the lash or the bruise of the club...They [are] simply so many bags of bones in which sparks of life still fluttered." (cite page number)
This theme of man vs. nature is accomplished in part by Buck's environment. Although there are other harsh environments in the world, none are as brutal or deadly as the frozen arctic. There are no breaks or down-time as all of ones energy is spent fighting off cold and hunger. Without backbreaking work and labor, death becomes inevitable. In this far-flung land Buck has to survive and thrive if he wishes to live. Through this medium of suffering the author Jack London paints the painful picture of a naturalistic worldview. (a viewpoint that excludes the supernatural and deifies
In The Call of the Wild a dog named Buck is stolen from "the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley" (p. 25) of California and is pressed into servitude in "the Frozen North." (p.27) In this new land Buck slowly transforms from a privileged companion of a wealthy Judge into a tough, sinewy sled-dog that has mastery of his extreme environment.
Thesis: The time-period and setting of The Call of the Wild serves to create the central naturalistic theme of man vs. nature. Although the story could have taken place in another harsh environment it would not …show more content…
nature is a prominent one as Buck struggles against his harsh, new environment. In the northern Klondike, starvation and sub-zero temperatures forces both man and beast to take drastic measures in order to survive. As this story takes place in the 19th century, the living conditions are exceedingly primitive, with men dying from starvation and cold on a near daily basis. Buck is not immune to such obstacles and only survives them with sheer determination and a will to live. One instance of Buck pitted against his environment took place when his new, inexperienced masters failed to bring enough food for a week-long journey. The owners treat the dogs harshly, pushing them towards there destination without much concern over their health or wellbeing. Adding upon this "the dog-food gave out" (p. 88) and the team of sled-dogs wasted away into "perambulating skeletons." (p. 89) "In their great misery they...[become] insensible to the bite of the lash or the bruise of the club...They [are] simply so many bags of bones in which sparks of life still fluttered." (cite page number)
This theme of man vs. nature is accomplished in part by Buck's environment. Although there are other harsh environments in the world, none are as brutal or deadly as the frozen arctic. There are no breaks or down-time as all of ones energy is spent fighting off cold and hunger. Without backbreaking work and labor, death becomes inevitable. In this far-flung land Buck has to survive and thrive if he wishes to live. Through this medium of suffering the author Jack London paints the painful picture of a naturalistic worldview. (a viewpoint that excludes the supernatural and deifies