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Theme Of Survival In The Call Of The Wild

Decent Essays

Jack London's novel, The Call of the Wild, follows the life of Buck as he adapts to his new life. After he was stripped away from civilization, Buck must learn to survive in the wilderness. The theme of this novel is, "survival of the fittest." The only way to live is to prove your superior strength and to not back out of a fight. All of the dogs learn at an early time, that they will not make it very far without physical strength. This quote displays Buck’s complete transformation and shows his dedication to the concept of, “survival of the fittest.” Buck’s drive to survive is shown in this citation and it is clear that he has become fit to lead in the wilderness. This citation is significant to the theme, because it shows the certain characteristics that he has gained that make him eligible to make it in the wild. After starting his new journey away from civilization, he has become, “...a killer, a thing that preyed, living on the things that lived, unaided, alone, by virtue of his own strength…” The theme, “survival of the fittest,” is the way of life for the animals in the wilderness, and is also the only path for survival for Buck. He is able to live by following this concept and by, “...surviving triumphantly in a hostile environment where only the strong survived.” …show more content…

When something terrible occurs in someone’s life, their mentality and at times, their physicality, are prone to change. Buck was forced to leave his original life, and his mentality and physical ability gradually began to change. Likewise, people that are exposed to events such as the loss of a loved one, they begin to change. Some altercations that may occur are depression, anger, loss of hope, anxiety, and at times, the loss of their faith. Even though these people do not change in the same ways as Buck, they change due to the same reasons; their lives are flipped around, causing them

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