Persuasive Essay - Call of the Wild

Persuasive Essay

         About four weeks ago, I headed to my normal third hour English class.  On the agenda for the day was an introduction to Jack London’s, The Call of the Wild.  At first I was skeptical.  Usually a tale about fierce sled dogs was not my cup of tea.  However, now that I’ve read it, I would recommend to everyone.  It is at classic piece of American literature everyone should give a try.  No matter what your interests are, I encourage you to read it.  After all, “don’t judge a book by its cover.”
         The style with which this manuscript is written is enough to scare some people away.  The sophisticated vocabulary is almost like a different language.  It is intriguing to discover this was how normal every-day people spoke in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Imagine having so many words to choose from.  I challenge you to expand your vocabulary by reading The Call of the Wild.  You may uncover forgotten terms such as soliloquy or demesne.
         A second fascinating thing about this book is London’s amazing ability to personify, or give human characteristics to, the many animal characters.  For instance, London describes Buck, the main character, to have a great human-like imagination.  This trait helps Buck to defeat Spitz.  Most of the animal characters are dogs, but later squirrels, birds, and moose are thrown into the mix.  While John Thornton is mining gold, Buck goes hunting and comes across a moose herd.  There, a large, injured bull moose is given human feelings.  He experiences terror, confusion, and annoyance at Buck, the menace relentlessly chasing him.  As Buck heads back to John Thornton, the squirrels and birds are said to be chattering about something ominous.  Perhaps most inventive of all is London’s ability to personify without losing the animal itself and its instincts.  All the things Buck thinks and feels are things we would expect a dog to think and feel, if it was indeed capable of doing so.  Buck does not think of frivolous things as many humans do.  This is yet another display of London’s ingeniousness throughout the book.  It is hard to describe his writing methods.  You must simply read the novel and experience it for yourself.
         One last reason to read The Call of the Wild is that it is indirectly educational.  There are so many things to learn from this story.  Some, like loyalty, are moral, but there are many cold, hard facts.  London gives us a peek at the lives of those in the Klondike Gold Rush, dogs and men alike.  From reading this book I am now familiar with a gee pole, traces, the wheel dog’s position, and why it is unwise to have a team of fourteen dogs.  I have found that many people in the Gold Rush were selfish and mean.  Hal, Charles, and Mercedes are prime examples of that.  Still, there were many good people.  Francois, Perrault, and especially John Thornton prove this.  Most people were at least considerate of the dogs, their main source of transport.  These are only a few of the things you could learn from this piece of literature.
         I have traveled with Buck from Judge Miller’s in sunny California to the valley where John Thornton mined gold in the far north.  I’ve watched him turn into a powerful leader.  Now it’s your turn.  Are you up to the challenge?