The Call of the Wild

The final chapter concludes Buck’s story by completing his physical and spiritual transformation. When the group discovers gold, the long sought-after metal, Buck’s responsibilities in the civilized world disappear. The call of the wild, and becoming his primordial self, becomes harder to ignore. Buck gives in to that urge, and he’s rewarded with power:

The blood-longing became stronger than ever before. He was a killer, a thing that preyed, living on the things that lived, unaided, alone, by virtue of his own strength and prowess, surviving triumphantly in a hostile environment where only the strong survive. Because of all this he became possessed of a great pride in himself, which communicated itself like a contagion to his physical being (42).

At the story’s conclusion, Buck comes to embody London’s message of survival: Only the strong survive. Buck, stronger than ever, can rule in the North. He’s full of pride, like the pride he felt when ruling over the estate in the Santa Clara Valley. Tonally, London creates a positive tone for Buck’s character arc. The longer Buck stays in the wild, the more he becomes the greatest version of himself: “A carnivorous animal, living on a straight meat diet, he was in full flower, at the high tide of his life, overspilling with vigour and virility” (42). Buck no longer has weak, domesticated paws, and he no longer must obey a master because they’ve armed themselves with a club. He can provide for himself and survive. His dominance of his surroundings, which once tested him relentlessly, shows Buck’s personal changes are qualities London sees as admirable in the Arctic. Through Buck’s character, London completes his commentary on what it takes to survive in the wild and shows the positive aspects of embracing the primordial past.

Chapter 7 solidifies The Call of the Wild’s other themes as well. John’s death, and the appearance of the wolf pack, reinforce the importance of love and collaboration. After they discover gold, Buck can leave the group behind. He runs with the timber wolf and considers running forever, but John’s love stops him. Love, not a club, or food, keeps Buck at John’s side. John’s death hurts Buck unlike any death before: “It left a great void in him, somewhat akin to hunger, but a void which ached and ached, and which food could not fill” (45). Buck’s emotional pain shows the power of love—how it can keep dogs and humans bound to each other, and how devastating it is when it’s lost. Only after John’s death does Buck fully embrace his wild side. Buck is capable of surviving on his own in the Arctic now, but when he follows the sound of the call, it leads him to a group of wolves. After abandoning civilization, Buck still finds a community to be part of; London thus reiterates the importance of collaboration, whether in manmade communities or animal ones.

Structurally and stylistically, Chapter 7 continues to add dramatic tension to the story and use established symbols and motifs. London never lets the reader forget that every task Buck faces is dangerous. Before they leave to search for the mines and cabin, the team knows the odds are stacked against them: “Many men had sought it; few had found it; and more than a few there were who had never returned from the quest” (39). Every mission is dangerous. The setting is always hostile, and the story maintains a dramatic energy by repeating these details with each task. The call of the wild, too, continues to torment Buck. Visions and sounds of the ancient past have pestered Buck throughout the novel. They appear again in Chapter 7, and even more vividly: “The vision of the short-legged hairy man came to him more frequently now that there was little work to be done; and often, blinking by the fire, Buck wandered with him in that other world which he remembered” (40). The call is the most frequently employed motif in the novel. As the story progresses, the call becomes more powerful and visceral, increasing the weight of Buck’s decision to reject or answer it.