The+Call+of+the+Wild

= The Call of the Wild by Jack London = a true life classic

Buck, who is half St. Bernard and half Scotch shepard, is abducted and taken to the Klondike where he reverts to the wild and becomes a leader of a pack of wolves.

//The Call of the Wild// first appeared in serial form in the popular magazine //The Saturday Evening Post// in 1903. Later that year, an expanded version was published in book form and enjoyed favorable reviews and commercial popularity. The novel's simple style and crude depiction of harsh realities in the frozen Klondike region appealed to a reading public tired of the sentimental, romanticized fiction that dominated the literary marketplace. At the same time, readers were drawn to it as an adventure story, a popular genre in turn-of-the-century America. ..**About.com** **Discussion questions from GradeSaver.com study guide**
 * 1) Anthropomorphism is one of the primary literary techniques used by Jack London in //The Call of the Wild//. How was London able to use this technique to express his ideas about human as well as canine nature?
 * 2) Explain how the beginning of //The Call of the Wild// illustrates the idea of "survival of the fittest". Use examples from the text to justify your answer.
 * 3) How does Buck feel about the man in the red sweater? Is he supposed to be a negative character? Defend your answer with examples from the book.
 * 4) Mercedes, the only female character in //The Call of the Wild//, is weak, unlikable and selfish. Is London necessarily suggesting that women had no place in the Klondike, or is Mercedes gender irrelevant to her flaws?
 * 5) At the end of the novel, do you believe that every dog would be happier living free in the wild? Defend your answer with examples from the story.
 * 6) At the end of the novel, do you believe that every dog would be happier living free in the wild? Defend your answer with examples from the story.
 * 7) London suggests that people, like dogs, have wilder natures that are tempered by civilization. Does London also suggest in //The Call of the Wild// that people who are able to give in to their wilder instincts are happier and nobler than those who are not? Make sure to consider people in the Klondike as well as those in Buck's original home.
 * 8) Why does Buck dream of ancient man? What could that relationship offer him that is missing from his other relationships with men?
 * 9) When the dogs are in John Thornton's camp, why do the dogs besides Buck give in to Hal's whipping and pull the sled?
 * 10) Why does Dave beg to remain at the traces, even though it will kill him? Would Buck have made the same decision?
 * 11) What is the call of the wild? Explain how Buck slowly came to understand this call.

**Here is what About.com says about classics.**
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 * A classic usually expresses some artistic quality--an expression of life, truth, and beauty.
 * A classic stands the test of time. The work is usually considered to be a representation of the period in which it was written; and the work merits lasting recognition. In other words, if the book was published in the recent past, the work is not a classic.
 * A classic has a certain universal appeal. Great works of literature touch us to our very core beings--partly because they integrate themes that are understood by readers from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Themes of love, hate, death, life, and faith touch upon some of our most basic emotional responses.
 * A classic makes connections. You can study a classic and discover influences from other writers and other great works of literature. Of course, this is partly related to the universal appeal of a classic. But, the classic also is informed by the history of ideas and literature--whether unconsciously or specifically worked into the plot of the text.