E203-2 April, 2009 M Johnstone

Reading Notes – Chapter Three

Call of the Wild by Jack London

Chapter Three: The Dominant Primordial Beast

As their journey north proceeded, Buck

became stronger and wiser. Because of this

wisdom, he ignored Spitz’s bullying,

knowing that he wasn’t ready to fight Spitz.

This wisdom failed him when Spitz stole his

warm nest one especially frigid night. Buck

and Spitz were poised to fight to the death

when the camp was over-run by ravenous

wild dogs from a near-by Indian village. The

nine team dogs were all injured in the attack

and barely escaped with their lives after

fighting their way into the forest to hide.

With four miles left to Dawson City, the team

faced the hardest part of the trip in terrible

condition. During this period, Buck learned new respect for Perrault and François. Even though

they pushed the dogs to make time, they often put the dogs’ welfare before their own. Several

days into their nightmare journey, François saved Buck by killing Dolly, one of the team that

had caught hydrophobia (rabies) and chased Buck for miles trying to attack him. François again

saved Buck from Spitz’s attack after Buck collapsed in exhaustion following his escape from

Dolly.

The climax of the chapter comes when Buck and Spitz finally fight. Relying on fierceness and

cunning that came from all that he had learned in the north, as well as his reawakened instincts,

Buck killed Spitz as a ring of savage huskies looked on.

Focus

Make a list of the five main qualities that you think Buck shows in the course of this chapter.

Questions

1. Describe Spitz’s character using examples from the chapter to support your answer.

2. How do François and Perrault display their true natures in this chapter? Give specific

examples to support your answer.

3. How does Buck begin to undermine Spitz’s authority in this chapter? What were the effects

of Buck’s actions? What does this say about Buck’s transformation from a “southland dog?”

4. In the following quotation what does London mean by “the dominant primordial beast” ?

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A pause seemed to fall. Every animal was motionless as though turned to stone.

Only Spitz quivered and bristled as he staggered back and forth, snarling with

horrible menace, as though to frighten off impending death. Then Buck sprang in

and out; but while he was in, shoulder had at last squarely met shoulder. The dark

circle became a dot on the moon-flooded snow as Spitz disappeared from view.

Buck stood and looked on, the successful champion, the dominant primordial beast

who had made his kill and found it good.

5. What traits have helped Buck thrive in his new world? Of them, which do you think is the

most important? Why?

Vocabulary

primordial (1): ancient, prehistoric

by Gar! (27): an exclamation of

surprise, probably a form of “By

God!”

pandemonium (35): uproar; a noisy

and uncontrolled disturbance

skulking (36): moving in a stealthy

fashion; lurking.

score (36): twenty

Indian (37): native American

grub-box (40): a box in which food

supplies are stored.

capsized (41): turned over

team-dogs (44): the group of dogs

used for pulling a sled.

malingerer (53): time waster; shirker

adversary (54): enemy; someone you

are fighting with

jugular (55): a large vein in the neck

and throat

goaded (55): incourages; stimulated;

incited

grub (61): food supplies

plight (69): a difficult or distressing

situation

marauders (73): raiders, intruders;

difficult or dangerous people or

animals looking for something to steal

or someone to kill.

moose-hide moccasins (76): soft

shoes made from the skin of the North

American deer or moose.

mebbe (80): maybe

sacredam! (81): a French oath

Dawson (86): a Canadian city in the

western Yukon Territory, on the east

bank of the Yukon river. It grew very

rapidly during the gold rush of the

1890s

eddies (87): circular movements in

water that cause small whirlpools.

cold snap (92): a sudden, short period

of very cold weather

rim ice (97): ice formed at the edge of

rivers, against the banks

singed (102): slightly burned

tendons (106): strong cords in the

body that join muscles to bone

rove (109): threaded; woven

compact (118): small and well-

proportioned.

pluck (157): courage, bravery

break of camp (165): taking down

and packing up tents and supplies

when camping

pitch of camp (167): setting up tents

when camping

shirks (172): ways of avoiding work

prostrate (184): lying flat on the

ground

butt (184): the thick end of a handle

culprits (188): people accused or

guilty of doing something wrong

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covert (189): hidden

jangling (191): quarrelling

ordained order of things (198): the

natural or destined way of things

nocturnal (203): occurring at night

aurora borealis (205): a luminous

atmospheric dislay, usually seen as

streamers of light in the sky. This

occurs in the extreme northern and

Artic regions.

pall (206): heavy covering

minor key (207): based on a minor

musical scale and tending to produce

an effect of sadness.

travail (208): unpleasant, painful

effort

plaint (210): a literary word meaning

a complaint or a sad cry

purposed (219): was determined,

intended

through trim (220): in very good

physical condition

insidious (225): sinister, dangerous,

but developing gradually without

being noticed

placatingly (232): so as to calm down

bristling (233): reacting angrily,

causing the short, stiff hair on an

animal’s back to stand up

bedlam (237): a great deal of noise

and disorder

small avail (240): of little use

caught red handed (243): caught in

the act of doing something wrong.

precipitate (244): start

snowshoe rabbit (246): a nocturnal

North American rabbit which is

brown in summer, white in winter

wraith (253): ghost

chemically propelled leaden pellets

(256): this refers to bullets or shot

fired from guns.

muzzle (259): the nose and mouth of

a dog

refusing quarter (264): refusing to

be merciful or forgiving.

rampant (269): out of control

creek (273): a small river or stream

apex (278): climax or high point

footing (284): your position and how

securely your feet are placed on the

ground

held his own (295): was able to resist

someone who was attacking, or

opposing, him

rend (298): tear; rip apart

winded (311): out of breath

lolling (320): handing down in a loose

and uncontrolled way

inexorable (323): unstoppable,

relentless

climes (324): a literary word meaning

climate

Adapted from From:

Cope, Jim & Cope, W, A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Edition of the Call of the Wild (Pengin).

Carter, Ronald (ed), The Call of the Wild, Penguin Student Edition (Penguin, 1999).

Aurora Borealis Glow Wall Mural Painting by Frank Wilson (downloaded 7/4/2009 http://fineartamerica.com/featured/aurora-borealis-glow-wall-mural-frank-wilson.html)

Illustration of a snowshoe hare, Lepus americanus, (downloaded 7/4/2009 http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/hunting/news/story?page=g_enc_snowshoe_hare