The Call of the wild

1. By Jack London The Call of the wild

2. Jack London - BrainPop • BrainPOP | Jack London

3. Jack London • Born in San Francisco on January 12, 1876 • His family was very poor and he had to leave school after 8th grade to work and help support his family • He was a big reader and went to the library often to read books and learn new things

4. Jack London • Jack London was an adventurer and held many different jobs • Pirate • Whaler who went sailing to Japan • Hobo – traveling across the United States • Eventually, he became sick and returned home to finish high school and spent a semester at college • In 1897 he left college to head up to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush

5. Jack London • In 1897 he left college to head up to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush • He did not become rich, instead he learned all about the adventures of living in the Arctic and began his career as a writer

6. The Call of the Wild • Published in 1903 • Jack London’s most famous novel • The story is told from the perspective of a dog named Buck and his adventures and life living in Alaska • This book helped make Jack London the most famous writer of his time period in the world • People loved his adventure stories

7. American West in the 1890’s • What do you think of when you think of the American West in the 1890’s?

8. The Spirit of the American West • Jack London and his stories embodied the “spirit of the American west” and living life on the frontier – the line between civilization and the wild, unexplored parts of America – specifically Alaska

9. Setting of the Story • Place: • Santa Clara Valley, California (for a short time) • Alaska • Klondike region of Canada • Northland (snow) vs. Southland (sun) • Time: 1890’s

10. Santa Clara Valley

11. Alaska

12. Klondike Region

13. Where would you rather live? • Would you rather live in the snowy Northland or sunny Southland? • How is the Santa Clara setting different from Alaska and the Klondike region?

14. Anthropomorphism • Giving human qualities to non-humans • Jack London wrote the story from the perspective of Buck, a dog • This technique is known as anthropomorphism

15. Plot • Buck, the main character and protagonist of the story, is a dog who lives a happy, comfortable life in Santa Clara • He is kidnapped from his owner and sold as a sled dog and sent to Alaska • Buck has to fight for survival and becomes uncivilized and goes back to his wild, primitive, animalistic roots

16. Klondike Gold Rush • Klondike Gold Rush • The Quest for Gold in the West

17. Dog Sledding • Welcome to Discovery Education Player

18. Characters

19. Buck •   A powerful dog, half St. Bernard and half sheepdog • He is stolen from a California estate and sold as a sled dog in the Arctic. • Buck gradually evolves from a pampered pet into a fierce, masterful animal, able to hold his own in the cruel, kill-or-be-killed world of the North.

20. Characters • Judge Miller -  Buck’s original master, the owner of a large estate in California’s Santa Clara Valley. • Manuel -  A gardener’s helper on Judge Miller’s estate. Manuel kidnaps Buck and sells him in order to pay off his gambling debts.

21. Buck

22. Spitz • Buck’s enemy and the original leader of Francois’s dog team. • Spitz is a fierce animal—a “devil-dog,” one man calls him—who is used to fighting with other dogs and winning • He doesn’t care about right or wrong

23. Francois and Perrault • French-Canadians who buy Buck and use him as a sled dog to carry mail

24. Hal • An American gold seeker, Hal comes to Canada in search of adventure and riches.

25. Mercedes • Charles’ wife and Hal’s sister. • Mercedes is spoiled and pampered • She is meant to represent spoiled, civilized women who do not belong in the wild or wilderness

26. Charles • Hal’s brother-in-law and Mercedes’ husband. Charles shares their inexperience and poor planning.

27. Hal, Mercedes, and Charles • They are inexperienced, terrible masters, as they run out of food during the journey and fight among themselves. • Hal and his companions are meant to represent the weakness of overcivilized men and to embody the man-dog relationship at its worst.

28. John Thornton • Buck’s final master, a gold hunter experienced in the ways of the Klondike. • The perfect man – dog relationship • They both love each other deeply and save each others lives

30. Other Dogs • Dave -  A dog on Buck’s team • Sol-leks -  An older, more experienced dog on Buck’s team. • Curly -  A friend of Buck’s, met on the journey to the North.

31. Themes: Survival of the Fittest • Only the smartest and the strongest can survive in this world • BrainPOP | Natural Selection

32. The Power of Instinct • Human beings as well as animals have natural instincts passed down through the genetic code. • Animal instinct is very important throughout the story. • Buck's ability to listen to his instinct makes him more and more powerful and draws him more and more deeply towards the wild – why the story is named Call of the Wild

33. Civilization vs. Wilderness • Civilization: human society • Includes: • Science • Culture • Government • Wilderness: a wild region where only animals live • Examples: • Forests • Deserts • Mountains.

34. Power • All of the dogs have power, and must use it in order to survive • The dogs can give up their power to a bigger and stronger dog and hope that that dog will protect them.

35. Dogs • The Wild Side of Dogs