The Call of the Wild
Submitted by Cherie Muehlberger (profile)

Title and Author: The Call of the Wild (full text) by Jack London
Genre: Novel
Theme: Survival
Class Type: Men's group, inexperienced readers

Class is opened with background about the author, Jack London: his search for adventure in Alaska; his short stint in jail; his determination to have a better life, which sent him back to school; his highly successful and disciplined career as a writer; his alcoholism; and his financial difficulties and possible death by suicide.

After discussing the Buck's descent from highly refined judge's dog to sled dog prospecting for gold in the Klondike, we concentrate on his survival in an unfamiliar environment. We fill out a story wheel with Buck in the middle and all the ways he learns to survive. We talk about change brought on by outside forces and adaptation to them. We discuss the concept of "survival of the fittest." We talk about the trust and love of his final master for him, and Buck's choice to return to the wild. We finally concentrate on the skills and characteristics we humans need to survive in the 21st century. This activity is done first by the individual on paper and then as discussion. We look at the attributes each of us uses for our own success.