The Call of the Wild by Jack London | Teen Ink

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

December 4, 2014
By Nancy_ BRONZE, Phoenix, Arizona
Nancy_ BRONZE, Phoenix, Arizona
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
In the end everything will be okay, if it's not okay, it's not the end.


Jack London, in his book The Call of the Wild first published in 1903, tells a story of a loving dog who is stolen away from his pleasant life at home. Buck, the main character, lived a dog’s dream until he was deceived. He hadn’t a care in the world; however, that changed, in “every moment life and limb were in peril”(London 11).  Before, he was able to swim, run, play, eat, drink, and sleep at his heart’s content. Soon after, he was beaten and deprived of food and happiness. Consequently, Buck then found it difficult to trust and be his usual self again. Because he was accustomed to the comfort of his previous life, Buck was shocked when he was put to work and by the brutal ways of the other dogs.
The half sheepdog, half Saint Bernard is my favorite character. Although he was not adapted to that specific style of life, he put in a bundle of effort and learned quickly; Buck had been betrayed, yet he was still loyal to Francois and Perrault, his new owners. I am able to relate to Buck in that I was once not familiar with the way of life in Mexico, as he was with life as a sled dog. In like manner, I felt betrayed before when I told my friend a secret and she told four other people. Furthermore, there is a part of the book I dislike because I feel that Buck is an amazing dog with a wonderful personality who deserves to be cherished. In this part of the book, Buck was treated as a punch bag instead of as an animal with feelings.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Call of the Wild. I would be able to read this classic repeatedly and still be entertained. This novel is over 100 years old, but despite that fact, I would recommend it to others because Jack London knows how to captivate the reader.  It keeps you hooked; it makes you want to keep reading to know what happens next. The realistic situation allows for the reader to visualize and feel empathy. It’s a touching story about a dog, and who doesn’t adore dogs? Animal lovers; veterinarians and pet owners for example would love this novel.


The author's comments:

I was inspired to write this because I want others to enjoy this novel.


Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.