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As an English major, I read a lot of literary fiction and classics in my classes. The Call of the Wild, however, is a novel that I recently picked up on my own. It met all of my expectations as a riveting, emotional read, and I’m glad to be able to share with all of you today!

Table of Contents

Reading Between the Lines

The Call of the Wild was first serialized in a magazine in 1903, and soon released in a single volume due to its extreme popularity. Jack London’s own life experiences colored the text, and his research resulted in the graphic, chillingly-intense details found in The Call of the Wild.

The premise of the book surrounds the harsh gold rush in the Yukon in the late 1800s, that yielded few fortunes to the thousands of men who scrambled to the North. Sled dogs were hotly sought after, and the protagonist of this book, Buck, was stolen and sold in order to labor in this cruel exploration of the northern territories of Canada and Alaska.

In the novel, Buck’s actions and behavior directly reflect his treatment by humans. He cycles through different owners, each with distinct personalities and ways of living, and Buck evolves dramatically with each experience.

Eventually, the spirit of the wild seduces him, and he embraces the way in which his ancestors roamed and hunted before the generations of domestication that tamed them into mere pets. This signals rebirth, and also calls into question whether every domesticated animal has that streak of nature within them, waiting to be released.