'During the four years since his puppyhood he had lived the life of a sated aristocrat he had a fine pride in himself, was even a trifle egotistical, as country gentlemen sometimes become because of their insular situation.' Chpt. But he'll never forget the enduring love from one man, proven better than one in ten thousand.Įxplain what the following quotes mean and how they relate to the story: Buck provided his instinct and hardened heart he is now truly wild. Buck is regarded as an Evil Spirit, the Ghost Dog who kills hunters and warriors in the valley they refuse to enter.

Buck attacks the chief and rips his throat, the others try to shoot Buck, but hit their friends instead. Yeehat Indians attack Thornton's camp, killing Thornton, Hans, Pete and the dogs Skeet and Nig.

Their enduring friendship becomes the defining featuring of their survival. Their circumstances reduce their goal to mere survival, as both cannot ever fully recover from the cruelty of other men.

Thornton recognizes the dog's intelligence, strength, and assumed leadership of the pack as they endure many hardships in their quest to find gold. Buck lets Thornton nurse him back to health. Buck is mistreated by many owners before he ends up in the kindly hands of John Thornton, after enduring a severe beating for refusing to make an unsafe river crossing. The story is told by a dog named Buck, a 140 pound Saint Bernard- Shepherd mix, who is abducted from his comfortable life as a pet to endure the cruel, chaotic, and harsh conditions as a working sled dog during the Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890s. Buck got his revenge by killing some, so they fear him as an evil spirit, a 'Ghost Dog' they fear who dwells in the valley they will not enter. Yeehat Indians - The fictional tribe Jack London invented for the story, who are responsible for attacking Thornton's camp and murdering him (and his friends). Spitz - The dog who challenges Buck for the leadership position of the pack, losing a 'fight to the death.' The man in the red sweater - The man who bought Buck, beats dogs not even worth naming, he's so cruel. Perrault, in particular, knew dogs, recognizing Buck as 'one in ten thousand.' Buck didn't like them, but respected them as a new kind of men. Perrault, Francois, Curly - French Canadian miners assembling their dog teams to find gold. John Thornton - The first kind-hearted owner Buck has ever had in the Yukon, leading his team of sled dogs, which he treats humanely, compared to other men. Judge Miller - Buck's first owner who raised him in a big house in the 'sun-kissed' Santa Clara Valley, before Buck was abducted to the Yukon Territory to become a sled dog. Buck - The 140 pound Saint Bernard and Scotch Shepherd mix dog, who is the narrator of the story.

The call of the wild novel