Abstract

The Call of the Wild is one of the most famous novels of Jack London, which consolidates his status in American literature. It was a sunny and civilized place in which Buck originally lived. And with the emergence of the gold rush in arctic regions and created a great demand of sled dogs. So buck was abducted to arctic region. However, Buck adjusted himself very quickly to the hostile environment with his sharp intellect and superb physical qualities. Buck developed a deep friendship with his master Thornton. Afterwards, Thornton was killed by Yeehats and Buck eventually killed the natives to avenge Thornton, and he then followed the wolf into the forest and answered the call of the wild. .Buck returned to the wild and became a leader of wolves. It’s not difficult for us to perceive that the author was stressing the ideology of survival of the fittest through Buck’s experience in novel. The analysis of the character Buck is of a great enlightening significance to us.

Key words: Buck; the call of the wild; survival of the fittest; change

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摘 要

《野性的呼唤》是美国作家杰克伦敦最著名的小说之一，它使得杰克伦敦确立了在美国文坛的地位。巴克原本生活在文明且暖和的南方，由于寒冷的北极地区的淘金者对雪橇狗的需求增大，因此巴克被人拐卖到了环境极其恶劣的北极地区，然而凭借自身出众的智慧和身体素质便很快地适应了严寒的雪地环境。巴克与后来的主人桑顿建立起了彼此深厚的友谊，但恩主的遇害彻底打碎了巴克对于人类社会的留恋，从而促使巴克坚定决心，毅然走向荒野，回归自然，成为了狼群的首领。在整篇小说中，我们不难发现作者一直都通过巴克的一举一动来渲染和烘托“适者生存”这一主题。本文通过对巴克这一形象进行解读对当代人有着较强的现实意义和启迪意义。

关键词：巴克；野性的呼唤；适者生存；改变

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Contents

Statement of Authorship………………………………….........................................i Acknowledgements……………………………………..............................................ii Abstract……………………………….................................................. iii

摘要…..................................................................................iv

Ⅰ. Introduction.................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction of Jack London...................................................1 1.2 Introduction of the Call of the Wild..............................................1 Ⅱ. Survival of the Fittest Theory ...........................................2 Ⅲ. The change of Buck’s fate...............................................3 3.1 Falling into a snare and leaving home...........................................3 3.2 Going into the wild...........................................................3 3.3 Living in a desperate environment..............................................4 3.4 Working as a sled dog.........................................................5 Ⅳ. Acquiring the survival skills in the new environment........................5 4.1 Learning the lesson of primitive law............................................5 4.2 Becoming a leader of the team.................................................6 4.3 Fighting in the wild...........................................................6 Ⅴ. Returning to the wild..................................................7 Ⅵ. Conclusion...........................................................8 References

Ⅰ. Introduction

1.1 Introduction of Jack London

Jack London, a great American realistic writer, is not only well-known worldwide master of novel but also as a great dramatist. He was born on January 12, 1876 in a poor family and died on November 22, 1916. Besides, he came from the bottom of the society and once worked as a writer, sailor and journalist. Therefore, London got a rich experience during his lifetime. To some extent, Jack London was totally self-educated on account of the poor life. At the age of 10, he had to go to work while going to school. Ever he was free he would devote all his spare time to study. In London’s career, he had created a great number of works which including short stories, novels, as well as a great many essays. As one of the greatest American writers, London’s works were considered as classic in the history of American literature. The readers can tell by his works that he depicted the miserable lives of lower class in America and revealed the evil of the Capitalism. 1.2 Introduction of the Call of the Wild

The Call of the Wild is one of the most famous novels by Jack London. The story revolves around the time of the Gold Rush prevalent in society, in which the author depicts the dog’s struggling actions most incisively and vividly. The novel mainly describes the process of leading character –Buck who returns from the civilized human society to the primitive life of the wolves. Buck has lived in a safe and comfortable environment since childhood, until he was abducted to the primal wilderness as a sled dog. Buck lived in the south originally，a civilized and warm place, with the emergence of the gold rush in arctic regions which created a great demand of sled dog. So buck was abducted to arctic region. However, Buck is an agile dog of wild nature. He puts his best efforts into pulling sled while fighting against others with bravery and valor. Buck adjusted himself very quickly to the hostile environment with his sharp intellect and superb physical qualities. Afterwards, Buck returned to the wild and became a leader of wolves. Although the central character is a dog in the story, it gives a vivid description of the life in the primitive northern world where a gold rush exploded and people all wanted to make a fortune. Buck,used to be a pet of Judge Miller, was abducted and sold to North. And in ensuing days he became one of a dog-sled team to

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