Identity is something that is very important to who we are and how we interact with others. Much of this is influenced by our surroundings and the conditions that we are presented with. Buck in The Call of the Wild begins his transformation into a beast when he is thrown into the grim terrain of the north. Along with this, the American people during the Frontier were shaped by the open land in the west that they were forced to adapt to. In the Call of the Wild and Turner’s Frontier Thesis, both Buck and the American people’s identity were shaped because of the surrounding geography.
Initially in the story, Buck had it easy. He was born a domesticated St. Bernard/Scotch shepherd who lived with Judge Miller in the “sun kissed Santa Clara
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This transition completely transformed the life of Buck forever. While being transported from place to place, his pride suffered an utter blow. He was no longer in this domain where he could freely live. Instead, he was constantly conformed, handled, and controlled by the power of others. One major strike at Buck’s pride occurred when he was beaten by the man with the club. After he is hit, it is clear that, “the club was a revelation. It was his introduction to the reign of primitive law, and he met the introduction halfway” (London 6). This shows that as Buck moves further and further from home, he begins to stray away from his previous way of life. His domestic nature fades away and the inner beast inside of him is revealed.
As Buck enters an unfamiliar world as a wild sled dog, he undergoes many physical changes. The grim geography of the rigid north had many adverse effects on Buck’s once pristine build. One example of Buck suffering physically is when he experiences extreme pain in his feet caused by the rugged terrain of the journey north. “Buck’s feet were not so compact and hard as the feet of the huskies. His had softened during the many generations since the day his last wild ancestor was tamed by a cave-dweller or river man” (London 18). This shows that as Buck treks across the ice and snow with the rest of the pack, his feet become weathered and wounded. His feet are not as tough as the other dogs due to his upbringing and his ancestral history. Along
Before entering the wild, Buck lived a comfortable life as a domestic family dog. He ruled over his land and carried a great amount of pride. It
The research agendas that occupied the American medical community during the twentieth century involved the controversy in making medicine a research science. Research-based medicine made enormous strides with discoveries such as penicillin and insulin, however led to issues with medical ethics. The following documents cite a highly controversial research project in the mid-20th century, the Tuskegee experiment that had a profound effect on protecting the rights of subjects in human experimentation. Michael Shimkin discusses in his paper, “A Leading Research Scientist Embraces the Nuremberg Code as a Guide to Ethical Practice in an Age of Human Experimentation, 1953,” the proper way of using people in medical experiments. Vanessa Gamble’s essay, “A Legacy of Distrust: African Americans and Medical Research,” looks at the relationship between race and American medicine to explain how the African American populace became the chose demographic for Tuskegee project. In Dr. Irvin Schatz’s letter to Dr. Donald Rockwell, Dr. Schatz questions the morals of physicians who worked on the Tuskegee Study
Buck has shown momentous physical change in the first fourth of the book.He is a St. Bernard-Scotch shepherd dog mix who weighs about 140 pounds and is about 4 years old.Through the story to about chapter 4 where I am in the book Buck changes tremendously. In the first chapter he is a fine house dog, spoiled even. But, through the course of his kidnapping and Buck’s transformation into a wild canine he gets more ragged and much skinnier, and after the wild husky attack on chapter three Buck is very injured. In short, Buck goes from a spoiled house canine to a bruised ragged savage. Buck’s appearance may have changed, but Buck’s behavior also changed.
This year’s summer reading options were marvelous. It was a hard choice to choose what book to read, but in the end, I chose The Call of the Wild by Jack London. The Call of the Wild was an adventurous tale about a dog named Buck and his adventures as he was sold into a harsh life of relentless labor in the cold and brutal North. The author of this classic novel, Jack London, was a short-story writer and a prolific American novelist. He was born in San Francisco, California. He was known for his other novels, The Sea Wolf and White Fang. I chose this particular novel because I love reading classic novels and it seemed to be an interesting and exciting story. Finally, this was the novel of my choice because it was recommended to me by my grandma.
First, Buck has to fight off one hundred huskies. For example, Buck tries to escape the camp with Spitz. Since, he doesn’t want to be killed by the starving dogs. Second, Buck and the other dogs know Dave has been put down. For instance, the dogs know he has been killed and they are scared. Since, they are all sad, but they are glad it was not them being put down. Last, Buck and the team eat too much and might not be able to stand the cold weather. For example, the dogs could die in the cold. Since, the food makes them full and unable to get up and move around. In conclusion, Buck furthers his knowledge of kill or be killed.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the novel was the progressive shift back to instinctive qualities of Buck. When the story begins, Buck is living as a pampered housedog at a large estate,
The Call of the Wild, on the surface, is a story about Buck, a four- year old dog that is part Shepherd and part St. Bernard. More importantly, it is a naturalistic tale about the survival of the fittest in nature. Throughout the novel, Buck proves that he is fit and can endure the law of the club, the law of the fang, and the laws of nature.
Jack London brings a natural instinct into the spotlight by defining that everyone has that primal call to the wild, and often one feels this when in a difficult situation. Giving into this ‘call of the wild’ leads to a different kind of adaptation, it makes you become primal to survive in a primal situation. Further into the book it states, “The others sat down and howled. And now the call came to Buck in unmistakable accents. He, too, sad down and howled.” (London, 1990, p.62). This is the defining moment of Jack’s book when Buck lets go of all ties to humans and decides to carve his own path, adapting the way he needs to, not the way that humans encouraged him. Soon, Buck changes himself completely to fit snugly into the environment and to prevent further torturous struggles with humans. These quotes combine to paint a picture of total and complete change when it comes to a new and unfavorable environment.
“In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity.” Have you ever had to find your true identity? In the book of The Call of the Wild Buck need to find his true identity in order to survive.
The Call of the Wild, by Jack London, is a classic piece of American literature. The novel follows the life of a dog named Buck as his world changes and in turn forces him to become an entirely new dog. Cruel circumstances require Buck to lose his carefree attitude and somewhat peaceful outlook on life. Love then enters his life and causes him to see life through new eyes. In the end, however, he must choose between the master he loves or the wildness he belongs in.
In the beginning of the book, Buck must adapt to the cold and cruelness of his new life in order to survive with very little food and recognition. First, Buck has to adapt to being transported to the North and learn to be a sled dog. For example, when he lived with the judge he slept wherever and whenever he wanted, but now that he is in the North he can only sleep under the snow and for few hours. Since, Buck learns that to live and carry on through his journey he has to make some changes from his old lifestyle. Second, Buck finds food for himself in order to survive and pull the sled longer. For instance, Buck steals food off of the man‘s plate because he is starving. Since, Buck can put his instincts into action, adapt and can be a good sled dog and stay alive. Last, Buck gets little recognition and learns to use his instincts and care for himself. For example, Buck gains confidence in himself to
* Buck –a proud and powerful dog, half St Bernard and half shepherd dog, who begins life on a comfortable Californian estate as a family pet, yet soon changes when he is stolen and sold to work as a sled dog in the frozen North.
Too often Americans today turn to prescription pills as a cure for the occasional headache to chronic pain, looking for immediate results while overlooking the long list of side effects. What if there was a safer, non-toxic alternative to the standard pharmaceuticals? We should be offered other types of treatment, the option of using medical cannabis. As a result, it can improve a patient's quality of life, and indirectly help to promote positive responses to treatment. While many say the drug has a “high potential for abuse” and should remain illegal, advocate’s present a stronger argument for legalization through the use of evidence and research. Medical marijuana must be legalized for its medicinal properties, its implications to our legal
After John Thornton dies and Buck’s only tie to humanity and civilization is severed, Buck proceeds to live out his days in a local wolf pack where he becomes the alpha. Here he becomes a legend to the locals and is forevermore known as the Ghost Dog because of ferocious actions presiding Thornton’s death. Throughout the novel, “The Call of the Wild” it is proven that adaptability is key to one’s survival in any harsh environment. Over the many years in Buck’s time after being kidnapped by Manuel, Buck demonstrated time and time again that being able to adapt to one’s surroundings is and essential to life. In the novel, it is conveyed through many different events and lessons that being able to become accustomed to a setting is key to
It is apparent that children are taking in music from numerous sources in their everyday lives. The psychology of an adolescence gives a unique look on how certain stimuli, such as music, can affect the way they think, and more importantly, act. The first place to look would be the brain, looking into what makes up these processes. The teenage brain is an ever-changing organ, that it constantly molding to stimuli that affect it on a daily basis. This stimulus includes music, which has similar effects, as would food, drugs, and sex (Kassem, 2014). In the vast majority of individuals, listening and even participating in music can affect both behavior and emotions.