The call of the wild by Jack London: Fight against all the hardships

 

     Hi, it’s James, glad to share my thoughts again. In this reading log I’m going to share a new book I read in this 2-week, called ‘the call of the wild’.

     The call of the wild, describing a dog named Buck, whose adventure was full of many difficulties. The author of this novel isn’t merely telling what difficulties Buck confronted with and how he conquered them but also writing about humanity, relationships with his master, and the surviving rule of the world. Buck was illustrated in a human-like way, expressing his real thoughts in many affectionate words. Similarly, we, as human beings, were always on a life journey, which never be easy and stable, consistent of ups and downs. Reading it, I felt some strong, the same feelings toward Buck’s encounters; without further ado, let’s go through this thought-provoking story.

     In the beginning of the story, Buck had the first separate with his original master for being sold by dog-seller, leaving the environment he was familiar with and also away from the civilization. It was hard for Buck to adapt the whole new environment; after being shipped from village, Buck was no longer accessible to the civilization but destined to be sled dog in the snowfield. Faced with such a demanding environment, Buck was destroyed and injured all over his body, both physically and mentally, he left nothing completely. What’s more pathetic, these were what Buck’s following life be liked, his life was always moving his home, separating with his friends who just met shortly before; as a result, Buck became the strongest dog than anybody after standing again and again from those misfortune.

     Sometimes, we were all hurt by the reality, in new environment, I always have to find the most efficient and effective method to adapt it. How ruthless the society is that it deprived many people’s ideality and hope, as the saying goes “Survival of the Fittest”, I wasn’t truly aware until I gradually grew up, seeing and hearing more.  The part-time job working in 7-11 a few years ago, it’s the first time I understood how difficult it was after staying away from comfort zone; many annoying things that I didn’t do before, a strict store manager as well as all the wheeling and dealing between colleagues. I learned a lot from there; like Buck’s first time knowing what club and the fang taught him, I also understand how could I make myself fit them and get out of their quarrels unscathed, it’s not painful but a very necessary experience I must learn.

     In addition, after Buck get used to his new job, new identity, the call of the wild was really coming to him, which was the true pursuit in somewhere deep in his heart. In a specific plot, He looked his master called Thornton, loyally and affectionately, then in the night he turned to look another side which was a forest (the nature), now it was the time for him to choose whether accompany Thornton or go to the wild. When I was a kid, I always dreamed about the freedom which is no longer under control of my family; however, recently I was usually thinking my family and my dream life, the tug of war between them, as what Buck encountered, so I was felt immersed when seeing the plot, I know how difficult this question to me and Buck.

     In the last Wednesday on my way home, I was in the bus and very exhausted, thinking what I strive for, it came to my mind that it’s for my personal expectation, and to lead a better life. Arriving home, I go upstairs and my mom asked me whether having classes tomorrow and when, I noticed that her care to me from her words; then I went eating the meal cooked by my grandpa, the same question occurred to me again yet this time I realized that actually it’s not for my personal expectation, not just for leading better life or something like that. Take Buck an instance, he wasn’t only following wolves but also hunting some meals for his master, Thornton, as for me, I study for myself but on the purpose of making them proud of me, for having an adequate time to accompany them, it’s the initial and genuine motivation, although the wild seemed to be Buck’s true belongingness, I firmly believed it must be a place with Thornton. These feelings are far from those personal expectations, the carve for success, those indeed supported us to keep going but behind them must be other reasons, for me, it’s the impregnable relationship with family.

     Overall, this is a worthy reading novel and can provoke readers’ feelings to its plots, it’s not a normal book writing about dog story. You need to taste it patiently and sincerely; I believe you will understand the meanings behind among them. This novel also adapted to movie, which called the same as the novel “The call of the wild (極地守護犬)”, I also watch it after finishing the novel, the movie adaption put more emphasis on Buck’s and Thornton, and have very vivid description on Buck, despite the fact there are not too many scenes about how Buck changed from those hardships, it still the good adaption to his original. Hoped that you all can read this novel, watch this movie, and can acquire something from them.