The Call of the Wild follows the journey of the dog Buck through his adventure into the North. Buck has to survive in this harsh, new environment virtually on his own. He soon picks up habits and lessons from the other dogs through watching. One such lesson would be when Buck finds out his teammates have burrowed in the snow to stay warm during the night. Other such lessons are when Buck learned "to bite the ice out with his teeth when it collected between his toes". He also learned that "when he was thirsty and there was a thick scum of ice over the water hole, he" could "break it by rearing and striking it with stiff fore legs." Maybe one of the most important lessons Buck learns is that if a dog goes down in a fight, that is the end of him.
Characters in The Call of the Wild are quite amazing. Buck, the main character, almost seems as though he is a human rather than a dog simply by his rational thoughts and way of doing tasks. In a fight, Buck is being severely beaten and has no way to back out of this fight. He finds a way to adapt to his foe's movements and tactics and soon brings the opposition down. John Thornton saves Buck later on in the story. John Thornton is played out as a very kind and likable person, which he is. He stands up against Buck's current owner and saves Buck from certain death. John Thornton also shows that he understands Buck when Buck "would often seize Thornton's hand in his mouth and close so fiercely that the flesh bore the impress of his teeth for some time afterward" to be a sign of admiration and love.
I enjoyed The Call of the Wild and would recommend this book to anyone who likes nature, learning about primal instincts, or a good read.
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