This first theft marked Buck as fit to survive in the hostile Northland environment.Unfriendly and ready to do harm
The Call of the Wild
Chapter 2
Jack London · Trailblazers 4th–6th
Copywork
This first theft marked Buck as fit to survive in the hostile Northland environment. It marked his adaptability, his capacity to adjust himself to changing conditions, the lack of which would have meant swift and terrible death. It marked, further, the decay or going to pieces of his moral nature, a vain thing and a handicap in the ruthless struggle for existence.
After copying, underline the word "marked" each time it appears. Then say in one breath what the first two sentences say about Buck, and what the word "further" does to the third.
Discussion
Narration Tell back Buck's first days on the Dyea trail in order, from Curly's death to the night he howls at a star, slowing down at the bacon.
- A silent circle of huskies buries Curly, and Buck decides, "No fair play." Does what he goes on to see in this chapter prove him right? Inference
- Dave nips Buck again and again, yet the chapter calls him "fair and very wise." What makes a nip fair? Character
- Dave and Sol-leks ask nothing of the camp, yet in harness they become "new dogs." What is the work giving them? Theme
- Buck copies Pike and steals the bacon, and Dub is punished for it. Who, if anyone, is to blame? Moral reasoning
- London ends Buck's howl at the star with a yellow metal and Manuel's wages. Why might he bring them back at the very end? Author's choice
Make a Connection Tell about a time you learned a rule by watching what happened to someone else.
Vocabulary
- HOSTILE
- ADAPTABILITY
It marked his adaptability, his capacity to adjust himself to changing conditions,
The power to change oneself to fit new conditions- DECAY
It marked, further, the decay or going to pieces of his moral nature,
A slow breaking down or rotting away- RUTHLESS
a handicap in the ruthless struggle for existence.
Showing no pity or mercy- VICARIOUS
It is true, it was a vicarious experience, else he would not have lived to profit by it.
Experienced by watching someone else go through it- PERPETUAL
He never had enough, and suffered from perpetual hunger pangs.
Never stopping or ending- COMPEL
so greatly did hunger compel him, he was not above taking what did not belong to him.
To force someone to act- DUPLICATED
he duplicated the performance the following day, getting away with the whole chunk.
Did the very same thing again, copying it exactly- UNSUSPECTED
A great uproar was raised, but he was unsuspected;
Not thought of as the one who did it- RETROGRESSION
His development (or retrogression) was rapid.
Going backward to a worse or earlier state
Critical thinking
- Billee wags his tail and cries; Joe whirls to face Spitz with his mane bristling. Using two pieces of evidence, explain which brother is better fitted to this life.
- François gets "instant obedience" with his whip, and Perrault packs the snow ahead of the team. Using two pieces of evidence, explain whether these men are hard, caring, or both.
- Buck learns to bite the ice from his toes, and old fighting tricks come to him "without effort or discovery." Using two pieces of evidence, explain where his new skills come from.