ImportantQuotationsExplained1Duringthefouryearssincehispuppyhoodhehadlivedthelifeofasatedaristocrat;hehadafineprideinhimself,wasevenatrifleegotistical,ascountrygentlemensometimesbecomebecauseoftheirinsularsituation.ThisquotationisfromthebeginningofChapterI,“IntothePrimitive,”anditdefinesBuckslifebeforeheiskidnappedanddraggedintotheharshworldoftheKlondike.AsafavoredpetonJudgeMillerssprawlingCaliforniaestate,Buckliveslikeaking一oratleastlikean“aristocrat”ora“countrygentleman,”asLondondescribeshim.Inthecivilizedworld,Buckisborntorule,onlytoberippedfromthisenvironmentandforcedtofightforhissurvival.ThestoryofTheCalloftheWildis,inlargepart,thestoryofBucksclimbbacktothetopafterhisearlyfallfromgrace.Helosesonekindoflordship,the“insular”and“sated”lordshipintowhichheisborn,buthegainsamoreauthentickindofmasteryinthewild,onethathewinsbyhisowneffortsratherthanbyanaccidentofbirth.2.Hewasbeaten(heknewthat);buthewasnotbroken.Hesaw,onceforall,thathestoodnochanceagainstamanwithaclub.Hehadlearnedthelesson,andinallhisafterlifeheneverforgotit.Thatclubwasarevelation.Itwashisintroductiontothereignofprimitivelaw,andhemettheintroductionhalfway.Thefactsoflifetookonafierceraspectand,whilehefacedthataspectuncowed,hefaceditwithallthelatentcunningofhisnaturearoused.ThisquotationistakenfromlateinChapterI,“IntothePrimitive,”justafterBuckhasbeenbeatenrepeatedlybyoneofhiskidnappers.Eachtimeheisclubbed,Buckleapsuptoattackagain,untilfinallythemanknockshimunconscious.ThisincidentisBucksintroductiontoanewwayoflife,vastlydifferentfromthepamperedexistencethatheledintheSantaClaraValley.There,civilizedlaw,andcivilizedmoralityweretherulingforces一symbolizedbythefactthathisfirstmaster,JudgeMiller,isajudge.Inthewild,though,Buckcomestotermswith“thereignofprimitivelaw,”inwhichmightmakesright,andamanwithaclub(orapowerfuldog)candoashepleasestoweakercreatures.Inthisscene,Buckismasteredbythemanwiththeclub,buthelearnshislessonwellandsooncomestomasterothers.3Andnotonlydidhelearnbyexperience,butinstinctslongdeadbecamealiveagain.Thedomesticatedgenerationsfellfromhim.Invaguewaysherememberedbacktotheyouthofthebreed,tothetimethewilddogsrangedinpacksthroughtheprimevalforestandkilledtheirmeatastheyranitdown.Thus,astokenofwhatapuppetthinglifeistheancientsongsurgedthroughhimandhecameintohisownagain.Thisquote,takenfromChapterII,showsthatasBuckfightsforsurvivalintheharshworldoftheKlondike,hereliesincreasinglyonburiedinstinctsthatbelongedtohiswildforebears.Theroleofthisatavisticdevelopment一“atavism”referstotherecoverybyananimalofbehaviorsthatbelongedtoitsancestors一pointstooneofthecentralthemesofLondonsnovel,namely,thewaythatprimitiveinstinctsandurgespersistbeneaththeveneerofcivilization.Throwasoft,civilizedcreature(humanoranimal)intothewild,Londonsuggests,andifhesurvives,he,likeBuck,willcometodependonthesameinstinctsthatguidedthelifeofhisprimitiveancestors.“Theancientsong,”inhisphrase,isonlywaitingfortherightopportunitytoemerge.4. Apauseseemedtofall.Everyanimalwasmotionlessasthoughturnedtostone.OnlySpitzquiveredandbristledashestaggeredbackandforth,snarlingwithhorriblemenace,asthoughtofrightenoffimpendingdeath.ThenBuckspranginandout;butwhilehewasin,shoulderhadatlastsquarelymetshoulder.Thedarkcirclebecameadotonthemoon-floodedsnowasSpitzdisappearedfromview.Buckstoodandlookedon,thesuccessfulchampion,thedominantprimordialbeastwhohadmadehiskillandfounditgood.ThesewordsconstitutethefinalparagraphinChapterIII9describingtheclimacticbattlebetweenBuckandSpitz.TheparagraphmarksthemomentthatBuckcomesintohisownbyvanquishingandkillinghisgreatrival,andthentakingSpitzsplaceastheteamsleaddog.Hehaslefthislifeasapamperedpetfarbehind一nowheis“thesuccessfulchampion.thedominantprimordialbeast.”Throughoutthenovel,Londonsuggeststhatlifeinthewildisdefinedbyastruggleformastery,andtheBuck-Spitzduelisthecentralexampleofthisstruggle,themomentwhenBuckestablisheshimselfasamasterofthekill-or-be-killedethicofthewild.5. Eachdaymankindandtheclaimsofmankindslippedfartherfromhim.Deepintheforestacallwassounding,andasoftenasheheardthiscall,mysteriouslythrillingandluring,hefeltcompelledtoturnhisbackuponthefire,andtoplungeintotheforest.Butasoftenashegainedthesoftunbrokenearthandthegreenshade,theloveofJohnThorntondrewhimbacktothefireagain.ThisquotationisfromChapterVI,“FortheLoveofaMan,”anditdepictsthetensionbuildingwithinBuckduringhistimewithJohnThornton.Thorntonistheidealmaster,andhisrelationshipwithBuckrepresentsaperfectpartnershipbetweenmananddog.LondontellsusthatthisisthefirsttimethatBuckhastrulylovedahumanbeing.Yet,atthesametime,itisclearthatBucksdestinyliesinthewild,andsoheistornbetweentheurgesthatpullhimawayfromhumanityandhisintenseloyaltytoThornton.Thatlove,itbecomesclear,istheonlythingtyinghimtotheworldofmen一whichmeansthatwhenThorntoniskilled,thereisnothinglefttoholdhim,andheembraceshisdestinyasawildcreature.