Symbol of The Wild
Jeremy Chen
Ms. Pat Cessna
Grade 10 English
30 October 2008
Symbol of The Wild
Symbol of The Wild
The Call of The Wild by Jack London tells a story of a dog whose name is Buck. We follow Buck through his adventures in the Klondike. He experiences a transformation as he adapts to the cold temperatures, the heavy sled behind him, and the savageness of the other dogs. By the end of the story Buck overcomes his obstacles and learns the cruelty in both human nature and nature itself. A symbol could be defined as “normally a tangible, concrete item that represents something more abstract”. The main message of the book was based on Darwin’s theory “survival of the fittest”. The author presents this idea through the use of colors, Buck and his companions and enemies. Each color holds a certain meaning, and so did the colors that London used in his novel. In the Call of the Wild, the man in red was a symbol -- the red shirt. The color red can be used to symbolize a number of different types of emotions or signals:, rage, intense hatred, danger or even the idea of stopping, such as when we see a red light in traffic. Buck is taught the first law of primitive society—that is, a man with a club in his hand is more powerful than a single dog. London refers to this “lesson” as the “law of the club. ” Significantly, the man in the red sweater finally admits that Buck is indeed a powerful and great adversary. Once Buck has learned that the “law of the club” is a law that he must obey. To Buck, the man with the club, a kind of “cave man” figure, represents the potential for the primitive element in all of us. The red of his sweater hearkens us to recall Buck’s blood-red eyes and also the blood which Buck is covered with after his beating, as well as the red blood of raw meat. Red, therefore, serves as a symbol of savagery. Another symbol of color could be identified through the snow. The snow symbolizes a formidable foe for the sled dogs and their
Ms. Pat Cessna
Grade 10 English
30 October 2008
Symbol of The Wild
Symbol of The Wild
The Call of The Wild by Jack London tells a story of a dog whose name is Buck. We follow Buck through his adventures in the Klondike. He experiences a transformation as he adapts to the cold temperatures, the heavy sled behind him, and the savageness of the other dogs. By the end of the story Buck overcomes his obstacles and learns the cruelty in both human nature and nature itself. A symbol could be defined as “normally a tangible, concrete item that represents something more abstract”. The main message of the book was based on Darwin’s theory “survival of the fittest”. The author presents this idea through the use of colors, Buck and his companions and enemies. Each color holds a certain meaning, and so did the colors that London used in his novel. In the Call of the Wild, the man in red was a symbol -- the red shirt. The color red can be used to symbolize a number of different types of emotions or signals:, rage, intense hatred, danger or even the idea of stopping, such as when we see a red light in traffic. Buck is taught the first law of primitive society—that is, a man with a club in his hand is more powerful than a single dog. London refers to this “lesson” as the “law of the club. ” Significantly, the man in the red sweater finally admits that Buck is indeed a powerful and great adversary. Once Buck has learned that the “law of the club” is a law that he must obey. To Buck, the man with the club, a kind of “cave man” figure, represents the potential for the primitive element in all of us. The red of his sweater hearkens us to recall Buck’s blood-red eyes and also the blood which Buck is covered with after his beating, as well as the red blood of raw meat. Red, therefore, serves as a symbol of savagery. Another symbol of color could be identified through the snow. The snow symbolizes a formidable foe for the sled dogs and their