Analysis of Change and Development Theme in The Call of the Wild (Essay Sample)

The Call of the Wild is an eighty four page novel written by Jack London, a famous American writer. Originally published in 1903, Call of the Wild is an adventure novel taking place in Yukon, Canada during the 1890’s Klondike Gold Rush. This novel follows a Canadian sled dog team as they make their way across the great Canadian wilderness.  Buck, a St. Bernard-Scotch shepherd, the main character, learns the way of a Canadian sled dog. 

The strongest theme I noticed throughout Call of the Wild is “Change and Development” in characters and settings. This theme is first introduced when Buck is abducted from his luxurious house and sold to an abusive dog handler. The change Buck experienced is drastic and abrupt, Buck goes from an easy and relaxing life at an opulent house to being tormented and abused by many different men he has never met. The stress and abuse changes Buck greatly, he is now untrusting and hostile towards everyone by default. Buck pledges to attack his new handler, a man in a red sweater, as soon as he is released from the cage. Immediately upon release Buck leaps to attack but as he is about to bite down on the man’s arm he was thrown into a state of consternation by the impact of a wooden club on his jaw. Again and again he tries to attack, but with each attempt he is sent crashing to the ground. Buck was used to living a pampered life where he was treated like royalty and received whatever he wanted as long as he did his job. Now he is treated like a prisoner. He soon learns to fear the club and anyone holding it, although he doesn’t respect them. 

The second type of change Buck experienced was that of environment. Buck finds himself in the snowy, frigid, unforgiving landscape of Alaska after being purchased by Francois and Perrault. His new environment is drastically different from the warm, sunny climate of Santa Clara, California, the location of his previous residence. Buck doesn’t need to adapt physically, thanks to his breed, but he does need to adapt mentally to survive the harsh new environment and adversaries. For example, when his team first made camp after a long day Buck didn’t know where to sleep to stay warm, then after wandering around camp and getting kicked out of a tent, he learns from the other sled dogs that he has to burrow in the snow to stay warm and survive the night. This quick adaptation is what keeps him alive and propels him to the great leader he eventually becomes. 

The third type of change comes much later in the novel than the first two, the change is a change of “heart.” Towards the end of the novel Buck is laying on the ground before an icy river that is unsafe to cross, and refuses to stand up despite being beat with a club by Hal. This is when John Thornton, a seasoned gold prospect, steps in and protects Buck from further assault even at the risk of harm to himself. As Buck and John bond, Buck begins to change in a way he had never before experienced, he begins to show affection and admiration for his new owner. For the first time since Santa Clara, Buck’s relationship with his owner is built with trust and respect rather than fear and wariness. Buck watches John’s back and John watches Buck’s. For example, Buck made John some money by pulling a one ton sled one hundred yards from a standstill, something Buck would have never done for his previous owners. A better example is when John defends Buck from “Black” Burton, and Buck saves him from the river. These are just a few examples of how Buck and John look out for each other. 

In conclusion, Buck underwent many different types of change and development throughout Call of The Wild, so much so that in the end he was almost a completely different dog. At the beginning of the novel Buck was a pampered dog with an easy life in a loving environment, and by the end, he was a seasoned sled dog with killer instincts living among wild wolves in the great Canadian wilderness.