Questions over Chapters 1 and 2 The Call of the Wild

1.  Where does Buck live at the beginning of the novel?

2.  Buck does not read newspapers, but if he did what would he find out?  What kind of dogs does the people rushing to the Northland want?

3.  How does Buck come to leave his home in the south?

4.  What lesson does Buck learn from the man in the red sweater?

5.  When he sees his first snow, what does Buck do that causes the men to laugh at him?

6.  What becomes of Curly?  What happens when Buck approaches Sol-leks from his blind side?

7.  How does Buck feel at first about being a draught animal?

8.  What commands does Buck learn during his fist trip as a member of the sled team?  What does Francois say about Buck after his trip?

9.  Which of Buck's actions show that he is learning how to live under the "law of cub and fang"?

10. Buck is a civilized dog.  He has never been caught in a trap.  Why, then, does he fear that he has been trapped during his first night sleeping in the snow?  According to London, where does his memory come from?

11. What physical changes take place in Buck after he arrives in the North?  What other changes occur in him?

12. Under the savage law of the North, what happens to respect for private property and personal feelings?  Describe two incidents that demonstrate this loss of respect.

Literary Terms:Plot / Exposition ConflictSetting ForeshadowingSymbol Point of View