The ISU has helped me through the fact that I have gained a more thorough understanding of my novel. The book has had a larger impact on me as the main character reveals insight on life and attributes that I would some day like to possess. Buck the main character remains a role model of mine as he is triumphant throughout every situation that was presented to him. He was the best at surviving; he never gave up, he learned from his mistakes, and was willing to sacrifice his life for what he loved most. This assignment gave me a deeper understanding of the themes and characters in the novel that I wouldn’t have gained through just reading it.
“The Call of the Wild” not only gave my a role model but I felt that it portrayed the Canadian Wilderness quite accurately making it more entertaining to read but also helping you understand the full extent of Bucks difficulties in that setting. The ISU pushed my to understand the difficulties of capturing the proper setting of the Canadian Wilderness as Jack London had to experience it for himself to truly grasp the setting. Through the apologia I now understand the contributions that Jack London gave to Canadian literature through his experiences. His actions have taught me that strong writing is based around first hand experience. Showing that the best way to write is to experience what you are writing about.
Personally I didn’t enjoy the format of a blog that was expected for this assignment. I would have preferred a more portfolio like project with hard copies of your work. With this hard copy form you are provided with the relief of finishing the assignment, instead of the consent temptations to jump on the computer and keep tuning it the day of or the day after. It took away from producing a finished product that you are happy with because you can always keep trying to add to it moments before the due date.
Overall this assignment helped me produce a more thorough understanding of the books content in a format that I didn’t find as appealing as some others.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Works Cited
Works Cited
London, Jack. The Call of the Wild. New York: Book Essentials Promotions. 5-118.
McSherry, Jack L. "Jack London's Klondike Adventure." Arctic Website. 2008. 3 Nov. 2008 http://www.arcticwebsite.com/londonjackklond.html.
"Who was Jack London." Get your words worth. May 2007. Wordsworth. 3 Nov. 2008 http://www.getyourwordsworth.com/wordsworth-jacklondon.html.
London, Jack. The Call of the Wild. New York: Book Essentials Promotions. 5-118.
McSherry, Jack L. "Jack London's Klondike Adventure." Arctic Website. 2008. 3 Nov. 2008 http://www.arcticwebsite.com/londonjackklond.html.
"Who was Jack London." Get your words worth. May 2007. Wordsworth. 3 Nov. 2008 http://www.getyourwordsworth.com/wordsworth-jacklondon.html.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Explication of Rivalry of Kin in "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London
Out of poultice’s thirty-six dramatic situations, Rivalry of Kin could easily be related to “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London, as rivalry is a constant theme throughout the novel. This situation accurately reflects dog reality through its themes of the rejected and preferred kinsman. To fully understand the Rivalry of Kin featured in the novel you must first understand the pack mentality of wild dogs as their system of equality is vastly different from our own as human beings. This difference of equality can produce rivalries so great that they are unimaginable to the human race. When Buck is introduce to this pack mentality for the first time he saw that life as a wild dog can be one of the toughest life’s to live. He witnesses various friends literally torn apart through rivalries in the pack.
To go into further detail about pack mentality, it starts with the distinguishing of the alpha male, a rather monarch like figure seen as having great strength and overall stronger abilities than the rest of the pack. The alpha male or female decides just about everything; when and where to hunt, sleep, breed, and eat. The alpha figure also determines who stays in the pack and can our right kill other animals due to their insufficient loyalty, character, illness or age if he or she sees it not fitting into the structure of the pack. It is very common for this alpha male or female to reinforce their authority by fighting any other peers that challenge their decisions. With this understanding of the unwritten law of dog, you can now fully understand the true extent of rivalry that Buck experiences through the book as a result of becoming the leading figure and his trouble upholding his position as this figure. With this strong sense of singular leadership it is easy to see how easy a rivalry could be obtained, it could be as simple as fighting over a small morsel of food or sleeping space. With this fact we can see that the rivalry of kin is a theme that is commonly demonstrated not only through Bucks adventures and life story but through the entirety of dog history.
Buck has trouble distinguishing rivals, frightened that one fatal step or gesture could upset another dog. He was “constantly alert; for these dogs and men were not town dogs and men. They were savages, all of them” (19). The first encounter of this type of rivalry that Buck comes face to face with is the constant challenging of authority which ended in the desecration of a friend. The pack camped by a log store for rest and nutriment, it was here that Curly one of the female dogs made a fatal step. “She in her friendly way, made advances to a Husky dog the size of a full grown wolf…There was no warning, only a leap in a flash, a metallic clip of teeth, a leap out equally swift, and Curly’s face was ripped open from eye to jaw.”(19). Curly was left to be finished by the thirty or forty huskies circling the action where “she was buried screaming with agony, beneath the bristling mass of bodies” (20). This very sudden action of tragedy made it hard for Buck to really distinguish who his rivals were. As Curly was a friendly young pup who was pounced on for little to no reason. It was in this dark day that Buck learned to never let your guard down as you never know when you are going to be tempted by another beast to engage in combat. Through this technique of constant guard, he is able to distinguish who his true rival is.
Spitz is the alpha male featured in the pack when Buck was working delivering the post. Spitz is a constant shadow of festering wounds lurking over Buck always nipping at his feet scaring his body. Spitz tries to provoke fighting between him and Buck. “Spitz, as lead-dog and acknowledged master of the team, felt his supremacy threatened by this strange Southland dog.”(39). It was inevitable that the clash for leadership should come. Finally over a simple morsel of food the fight between Buck and Spitz was finally initiated. Spitz suffered the same fait as Curly, finally being killed by the watching dogs as “the dark circle became a dot on the moon-flooded snow as Spitz disappeared from view. Buck stood and looked on, the successful champion, the dominant primordial beast who had made his kill and found it good” (48). This event directly relates to the Rivalry of Kin as it expresses a rejected kinsman, that being Spitz and the now preferred kinsman, Buck.
Buck lives with rivalry as a common part of life like every dog would in his situation until he is introduced to an owner name John Thornton who releases him from the primitive forms of rivalry. John introduced a new way of life, a way of equality never seen by Buck before. He possessed a pair of dogs named Skeet and Nig that didn’t challenge one another or even present any sort of rivalry or aggressive behavior towards Buck. Skeet made friends with Buck rather early, “she had the doctor trait which some dogs possess…washing and cleansing Buck’s wounds” (80). Nig was equally as friendly with “eyes that laughed and had a boundless good nature”(80). They worked in unity and equality. “To Buck’s surprise these dogs manifested no jealousy toward him.”(81). This new ownership was Bucks escape from the unforgiving consequences of rivalry and the introduction to the more democratic lifestyle of a human.
Rivalry of Kin is one of the main aspects of a wild dog’s life. Throughout “The Call of the Wild” Buck has been thrashed around by fait. Lead to experience a rather dramatic set of rivalries. He witnesses rivalries first hand and physically fought through them to be released from their scaring burdens. Buck is then anthropomorphized allowing him to experience human like equality finally releasing him from the rivalries of his kinsmen.
To go into further detail about pack mentality, it starts with the distinguishing of the alpha male, a rather monarch like figure seen as having great strength and overall stronger abilities than the rest of the pack. The alpha male or female decides just about everything; when and where to hunt, sleep, breed, and eat. The alpha figure also determines who stays in the pack and can our right kill other animals due to their insufficient loyalty, character, illness or age if he or she sees it not fitting into the structure of the pack. It is very common for this alpha male or female to reinforce their authority by fighting any other peers that challenge their decisions. With this understanding of the unwritten law of dog, you can now fully understand the true extent of rivalry that Buck experiences through the book as a result of becoming the leading figure and his trouble upholding his position as this figure. With this strong sense of singular leadership it is easy to see how easy a rivalry could be obtained, it could be as simple as fighting over a small morsel of food or sleeping space. With this fact we can see that the rivalry of kin is a theme that is commonly demonstrated not only through Bucks adventures and life story but through the entirety of dog history.
Buck has trouble distinguishing rivals, frightened that one fatal step or gesture could upset another dog. He was “constantly alert; for these dogs and men were not town dogs and men. They were savages, all of them” (19). The first encounter of this type of rivalry that Buck comes face to face with is the constant challenging of authority which ended in the desecration of a friend. The pack camped by a log store for rest and nutriment, it was here that Curly one of the female dogs made a fatal step. “She in her friendly way, made advances to a Husky dog the size of a full grown wolf…There was no warning, only a leap in a flash, a metallic clip of teeth, a leap out equally swift, and Curly’s face was ripped open from eye to jaw.”(19). Curly was left to be finished by the thirty or forty huskies circling the action where “she was buried screaming with agony, beneath the bristling mass of bodies” (20). This very sudden action of tragedy made it hard for Buck to really distinguish who his rivals were. As Curly was a friendly young pup who was pounced on for little to no reason. It was in this dark day that Buck learned to never let your guard down as you never know when you are going to be tempted by another beast to engage in combat. Through this technique of constant guard, he is able to distinguish who his true rival is.
Spitz is the alpha male featured in the pack when Buck was working delivering the post. Spitz is a constant shadow of festering wounds lurking over Buck always nipping at his feet scaring his body. Spitz tries to provoke fighting between him and Buck. “Spitz, as lead-dog and acknowledged master of the team, felt his supremacy threatened by this strange Southland dog.”(39). It was inevitable that the clash for leadership should come. Finally over a simple morsel of food the fight between Buck and Spitz was finally initiated. Spitz suffered the same fait as Curly, finally being killed by the watching dogs as “the dark circle became a dot on the moon-flooded snow as Spitz disappeared from view. Buck stood and looked on, the successful champion, the dominant primordial beast who had made his kill and found it good” (48). This event directly relates to the Rivalry of Kin as it expresses a rejected kinsman, that being Spitz and the now preferred kinsman, Buck.
Buck lives with rivalry as a common part of life like every dog would in his situation until he is introduced to an owner name John Thornton who releases him from the primitive forms of rivalry. John introduced a new way of life, a way of equality never seen by Buck before. He possessed a pair of dogs named Skeet and Nig that didn’t challenge one another or even present any sort of rivalry or aggressive behavior towards Buck. Skeet made friends with Buck rather early, “she had the doctor trait which some dogs possess…washing and cleansing Buck’s wounds” (80). Nig was equally as friendly with “eyes that laughed and had a boundless good nature”(80). They worked in unity and equality. “To Buck’s surprise these dogs manifested no jealousy toward him.”(81). This new ownership was Bucks escape from the unforgiving consequences of rivalry and the introduction to the more democratic lifestyle of a human.
Rivalry of Kin is one of the main aspects of a wild dog’s life. Throughout “The Call of the Wild” Buck has been thrashed around by fait. Lead to experience a rather dramatic set of rivalries. He witnesses rivalries first hand and physically fought through them to be released from their scaring burdens. Buck is then anthropomorphized allowing him to experience human like equality finally releasing him from the rivalries of his kinsmen.
Apologia
Jack London captured a very defined and detailed picture of the Canadian north. Attention should be paid to London for his writings because he didn't imagine the settings of his pieces, he experienced them first hand. London spent a great deal of his life traveling up north. He experienced the hard northern life which helped him capture the Canadian setting perfectly. Through his experiences Jack London produces an adventurous classic titled “The Call of the Wild” resulting in a magnificent contribution to Canadian and American literature.
Born in San Francisco in 1876 London was not originally from Canadian descent he spent a great deal exploring Canada for some of the very same reasons displayed in his books. Growing up as a young boy heard of the great gold strikes in Alaska. London being a rather imaginative fellow sought after this wealth and adventure deciding to travel to Alaska in seek of these great fortunes. “Jack London gained a tremendous amount of insight and perspective while in Alaska and the Klondike. Although he had not discovered much gold, he had uncovered a mother lode of experience from which he would draw material for his future novels and stories” ("Who was Jack London."). These great works deem him one of the greatest American writers of his time.
How did an American writer capture the Canadian wilderness to the most detailed degree painting an almost flawless picture of the northern setting? To answer this, London simply experienced it first hand making that the main reason why attention should be paid to London for his literature contributions. London’s writings are most often considered to be fictional stories designed for the enjoyment of the reader however his writing does contain some non-fictional attributes. His journey to Alaska through the Canadian Yukon in a sense mimics some of the main events in “The Call of The Wild”. The deadly white water rapids that Buck saves John’s life from by dragging him out alive as well as the near death experiences from famine as Buck is starved by the stupidity of his owners are two main events that can be directly related to London’s experiences. Paralleling the novel he is faced with the challenging feat of crossing the great Whitehorse rapids of Lake Bennett which with his team he successfully powers through to find the treasures that await him. While living on preserved food he did not eat properly. As a result London suffered from scurvy loosing his teeth in the process. Finally not to forget the very reason for his travels is to seek gold in the Alaskan wilderness which is the very basis for Buck’s hardships throughout “The Call of the Wild”. His stories are in fact fictional but could be modeled around his experiences in the Canadian North making his greatest contribution to Canadian literature, the way he captures the setting and the life style of the northern regions of Canada.
Jack London is an American writer who helped Canadian literature by creating various pieces set in the northern wilderness allowing the reader to paint a detailed picture in their mind. He strengthened this ability through his travels experiencing the kinds of events in his book. He produced a ripping good yarn combining autobiographical with fictional writings.
Born in San Francisco in 1876 London was not originally from Canadian descent he spent a great deal exploring Canada for some of the very same reasons displayed in his books. Growing up as a young boy heard of the great gold strikes in Alaska. London being a rather imaginative fellow sought after this wealth and adventure deciding to travel to Alaska in seek of these great fortunes. “Jack London gained a tremendous amount of insight and perspective while in Alaska and the Klondike. Although he had not discovered much gold, he had uncovered a mother lode of experience from which he would draw material for his future novels and stories” ("Who was Jack London."). These great works deem him one of the greatest American writers of his time.
How did an American writer capture the Canadian wilderness to the most detailed degree painting an almost flawless picture of the northern setting? To answer this, London simply experienced it first hand making that the main reason why attention should be paid to London for his literature contributions. London’s writings are most often considered to be fictional stories designed for the enjoyment of the reader however his writing does contain some non-fictional attributes. His journey to Alaska through the Canadian Yukon in a sense mimics some of the main events in “The Call of The Wild”. The deadly white water rapids that Buck saves John’s life from by dragging him out alive as well as the near death experiences from famine as Buck is starved by the stupidity of his owners are two main events that can be directly related to London’s experiences. Paralleling the novel he is faced with the challenging feat of crossing the great Whitehorse rapids of Lake Bennett which with his team he successfully powers through to find the treasures that await him. While living on preserved food he did not eat properly. As a result London suffered from scurvy loosing his teeth in the process. Finally not to forget the very reason for his travels is to seek gold in the Alaskan wilderness which is the very basis for Buck’s hardships throughout “The Call of the Wild”. His stories are in fact fictional but could be modeled around his experiences in the Canadian North making his greatest contribution to Canadian literature, the way he captures the setting and the life style of the northern regions of Canada.
Jack London is an American writer who helped Canadian literature by creating various pieces set in the northern wilderness allowing the reader to paint a detailed picture in their mind. He strengthened this ability through his travels experiencing the kinds of events in his book. He produced a ripping good yarn combining autobiographical with fictional writings.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Welcome My Fellow Classmates and Teacher
Welcome to the “Call of the Wild” weblog. The weblog communicates a critical understanding of “The Call of the wild” by Jack London. This blog includes an investigation of this novel including personal commentary, expository analysis, bibliographical review, and resource links. To begin I have expanded on four significant points, which are based around the major ownerships that the main character, Buck was involved with. I felt that these four points changed and added to Bucks life each in there own way making them significant. To further come, is a Apologia and a Explication of one of Polti’s Thiry-Six Dramatic Situations followed by a personal reflection. I hope you are interested and I wish you happy reading.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The topic of life could be compared to a rose. It contains many layers of petals and changes due to the setting around it whether it is summer when it flourishes or winter when it waits for a time to blossom once more. The life of Buck contains four significant layers of peddles which mold and shape him. They consist of the various owners that he faces being a sled dog in Alaska. These owners treat Buck very differently revealing a new aspect of his life to him as he passes through the hands of each owner, until he is the owner of himself facing the unforgiving truth of freedom.
Owner One
Perrault and Francois were the introduction to Buck’s life. They “were fair men, calm and impartial in administrating justice, and too wise in the way of dogs to be fooled by dogs” (16). These two men introduced Buck to the great Alaskan wilderness as a sled dog. The first triumph that Buck needs to overcome is the first real aspect to his life, trying to fit in with the rest of the pack. He learns the first lessons of his life in this ownership. He learns that when you live with others in the harsh landscape of Alaska there are two rules which all the dogs live by, consisting of the law of the club and fang as well as the survival of the fittest. The law of club and fang is the basic rule that if you know you can’t over throw them don’t bother trying, and survival of the fittest if relatively self explanatory.
Buck is tested by these rules day by day. He learns quickly how to survive and gains experience by learning from his mistakes and the mistakes of others. However like in almost everyone’s life jealousy is present being the cause for many rivals. Buck’s uncanny progression both physically and mentally threatened the leader of the pack, Spitz because he was subject for replacement. This rivalry ended in blood shed and the death of Spitz because “Buck possessed a quality that made for greatness – imagination. He fought by instinct, but he could fight by head as well” (47). Buck was rightfully proclaimed leader of the pack.
Perrault and Francois run a tight schedule and in doing so almost wipe Buck and his team clean of life. “Buck and his mates arrived at Skaguay. They were in a wretched state, worn out and worn down” (61). It is in this town that Buck is sold off to a new owner and is left to discover the second part of his life, sheer survival.
Buck uncovers the first layer of his life finding that it teaches him the basic rules and ways to live by in his current setting, similar to most of us growing up learning from trial and error.
Buck is tested by these rules day by day. He learns quickly how to survive and gains experience by learning from his mistakes and the mistakes of others. However like in almost everyone’s life jealousy is present being the cause for many rivals. Buck’s uncanny progression both physically and mentally threatened the leader of the pack, Spitz because he was subject for replacement. This rivalry ended in blood shed and the death of Spitz because “Buck possessed a quality that made for greatness – imagination. He fought by instinct, but he could fight by head as well” (47). Buck was rightfully proclaimed leader of the pack.
Perrault and Francois run a tight schedule and in doing so almost wipe Buck and his team clean of life. “Buck and his mates arrived at Skaguay. They were in a wretched state, worn out and worn down” (61). It is in this town that Buck is sold off to a new owner and is left to discover the second part of his life, sheer survival.
Buck uncovers the first layer of his life finding that it teaches him the basic rules and ways to live by in his current setting, similar to most of us growing up learning from trial and error.
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