Study Questions &
Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. How does
The
Call of the Wild present the human-dog relationship?
2. What is the
“law of club and fang”? What does it represent? How is Buck introduced
to it?
3. Discuss the
influence of Charles Darwin’s and Friedrich Nietzsche’s theories
on
The Call of the Wild.
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Discuss Mercedes, Hal, and
Charles. What role do they play in the novel? How do they function
as embodiments of the worst side of civilization?
2. What is “atavism”? What role
does it play in Buck’s development as a wild animal?
3. To what extent does London
anthropomorphize Buck—that is, present him like a human being? To
what extent is he emphatically an animal?
4. Compare the roles of John
Thornton and Judge Miller. Who, from the novel’s point of view,
is the better master? Defend your answer.
5. What is the “call of the wild”?
How does it affect Buck's behavior throughout the novel?
