Call of the Wild Questions
Find an example of foreshadowing in this chapter. What does the example to to the reader?
"His only ambition, like Dave was to be left alone."
Dave is hurt internally. Why does he still insist on his place in the harness?
He has so much pride he couldn't bare to see another dog in his place
What is implied about Buck on the last paragraph of this story?
He is going back to being Primordial
Why does the narrator refer to Buck as the "dominant, primordial beast?
He is the #1 wild beast.
What is another sign that Buck is becoming more of a wild animal and less of a domesticated dog?
He rarely thinks of Judge Miller
To satisfy his blood-lust, what larger animal does he stalk and finally kill?
A Bull Moose
What has become of Buck over the years?
A Wolf
London describes Buck as "king over all...things of Judge Miler's place, humans included." (p.6). Since he is not really a king, why does the narrator refer to him in that way?
He roams without thinking.
Find the irony in the last thing John says.
He saved him and then called him a Devil
On page 21 the narrator says, "This first theft marked Buck as fit to survive in the hostile Northland environment." What point is London making in the quotation?
He stole bacon from Perrult
Why does sol-leks get upset when a dog approaches him on his blind side?
He wants respect
Why is Buck surprised that Thornton's two other dogs, Nig and Skeet, are not jealous of the attention Thornton pays Buck?
All other dogs were always jelous of him
Why does Buck refuse to be harnessed to the sled at first?
He wants to be lead dog.
In what ways is Buck still a wild, cunning dog?
He will fight dogs or steal if it is not John Thornton's
"Both men were manifestly out of place, and why such as they should adventure the North is part of the mystery of things that passes understanding." (pg. 48/45) London sometimes tends to be wordy. How might the above sentence be put more simply?
Both men were completely out of place and why they were adventuring in the north is the question everyone asks.
What is the first indication to the reader that there might be trouble back at the camp?
Buck finds Nig with an arrow in him
Explain how the following sentence is a metaphor: "...another exploit...that put his name many notches higher on the totem-pole of Alaskan fame." (pg. 69/64)
Buck had done so many nice things
There are many incidents of anthropomorphism in the book. Find one on page 13/12 and explain it.
Buck has feelings on page 13.
From whose perspective is part of this chapter told? Why is this viewpoint a little unusual?
Buck the dog
In the last paragraph what may we infer happens behind the river trees?
Dave is shot and killed
On pages 42-43/40-41, what are the dreams Buck has of a man squatting by a fire in the darkness?
Dreams from back before civilized people
During the trip, what human qualities does London attribute to Buck? What is this term called? Do you think Buck might know something like this?
He could count, anthropomorphism, No
After marching out of camp, how is Buck transformed?
He feels the Call and turns into a wolf like creature
Buck learns how to work in the harness from Dave and Sol-leks, and he learns much by observing others, but what does the narrator say he learned from instinct?
How to be wild.
How does the narrator show that Buck is getting more like his wild, untamed ancestors?
Howl like a wolf
Who saves Buck? How is it done? What do you expect will happen next?
John Thorton saves buck, he cuts him loose, The people will die
In your opinion, does Landon's style of writing make the story more or less enjoyable for you?
Less enjoyable
Since you have seen so many amazing deeds performed by Buck, is pulling one thousand pounds surprising? Support your opinion.
No it is not surprising because, Buck is a smart, strong dog. it is shown throughout.
When Buck finds Nig with an arrow protruding from his body, why are we not surprised that there are Indians in the area?
That is the second arrow Buck has seen, plus Thornton wouldn't will his dogs.
What is foreshadowed in the last sentence of the second paragraph?
The Death of either Spitz or Buck through a fight.
Besides visions of the hairy, prehistoric man, what else is making Buck uneasy?
The arrows around the woods
On page 33/32 how does the narrator show that Buck is now truly a savage animal?
The dogs chase one rabbit, and Buck leads them.He kills Spitz
On pages 35-36/33-34, what vivid picture does the author depict?
The fight between Spitz and Buck
When the narrator says, "Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, was the law and this mandate, down out of the depths of Time, he obeyed," what law is London talking about? (pg. 64/60)
The law of club and fang
Who do Perrault and Francois work for? Why is a good dog team so important to them
The mail, to get the mail where it needs to go.
From this point on, what is the setting for this story?
The primitative
On page 76/71, Buck has the old dream again. What is he dreaming about?
The short hairy Cave man
What is the meaning of this sentence: "The two mongrels were without spirit at all; bones were the only things breakable about them"? (pg. 52/49)
They had lost there spirts nothing except their bones were breakable to them
In what ways have the wolves in the area changed and why?
They have accepted Buck without killing him.
Why"? does the narrator say that a fight between Buck and Spriz is inevitable?
They have pride
Why might you guess that Spitz is going to be Buck's chief enemy?
They have pride and the both want to be leader
How do the people change in the course of the trip?
They over feed an then underfeed the dogs, They start arguing
How does the people's own arrogance bring on disaster?
They think they know it all
In what type of narration is the story told?
Third person Omnicteint
What lesson does Buck learn about surviving the cold winter nights?
To burry in the snow
What is Buck now free to do after he discovers the destroyed camp?
To roam freely and live.
Answering the call of the wild one night, what does Buck come upon that runs off?
a Bull Moose
In this chapter, what do "fire" and "fire and roof" symbolize or represent?
civilization
How is delivering dispatches different from simply delivering the mail?
dispatches are heavier than regular mail
What does London mean when he says, "His development (or retrogression) was rapid"? (pg. 22/21)
eyes turned bloodshot, no pain, strong muscles, eat anything, sight, scent, hearing, bite out ice, break waterfalls
Explain how Buck gets from Manuel to Perrault.What has happened to Buck's temperament during his journey? Find a quote that shows his transformation.
he is sold in and out.
Why does Perrault say that Buck is "one in ten thousand"
he is strong and smart.
Buck, on occasions, answers the call of the wild but always returns. Why?
he loves Thornton and wants to be with him.
Identify the literary term in the following quotation: "The congested mail was taking on Alpine proportions." (pg. 48/45)
hypoerbolie
What had saved Buck?
instinct
On what three occasions does Buck show his fierce devotion to Thornton?
jump off cliff, attack a man in the salon, save Thornton from drowning.
What is the first thing Buck learns about dog fights? What is the second thing?
no fair play, once your down your done
In contrast to "fire," what does the author use to represent or symbolize the wild, primitive life?
the Forest
Judging from the chapter title, what would you guess that this chapter is about?
the law of man and dog.
What lesson does Buck learn from the man with the club that he never forgets?
the power is in the club
Why does Manuel steal Buck?
to pay off his gambling fees and to support his family
What has created the demand for large, strong dogs?
yellow metal: gold
