The Call of the Wild
by Jack London
Table of Contents
Cast of Characters
Buck – Buck was a pet who was stolen from Judge Miller. Buck is a massive dog, a mix of St. Bernard and shepherd. He lived on an estate in California owned by a kindly man, Judge Miller, where he was a coddled pet. Stolen by Manuel, one of Judge Miller’s employees, because Manuel wished to sell him for a profit, Buck quickly saw his life of leisure disappear. Buck’s first masters are cruel, and he is forced to adapt to harsh living conditions quickly or perish. Eventually Buck finds a kind master, John Thornton, but he is still inclined to retreat from human civilization.
John Thornton – John Thornton is Buck’s final master. Thornton intervenes on Buck’s behalf when Hal is trying to kill him. As a result, Buck becomes very loyal to Thornton. The two of them exhibit the loyalty that most dog lovers would say characterize a good canine-human relationship. Ultimately, it is this good relationship with Thornton that prevents Buck from going into the wild, which speaks to the roots of the canine-human relationship and why wolves decided to move toward civilization in companionship with humans.
Spitz – Spitz is the primary canine antagonist in the novel. He is the leader of Francois’s dog team when Francois buys Buck. Spitz is a very dominant animal, accustomed to using his physical size and fighting ability to dominate the other dogs. However, Spitz is the example of brute force; Buck, who is his physical match, is easily able to outsmart him. Spitz is also a good example of the drive for survival; he displays no ethical values and is concerned solely with his own survival.
Francois – Francois is Buck’s first introduction to life as a sled dog. Francois is a mail driver who uses dogs to help deliver the mail. Francois is a responsible dog owner and is skilled at turning dogs into sled dogs. Though he never inspires the type of loyalty that John Thornton elicits in Buck, he treats Buck fairly.
Perrault –...
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