Nature and Nurture
"Call of the wild", written by Jack London, is one of his famous short novels th
at is known for all. It is a story about a dog, Buck. Buck is a domestic dog living in the sun-kisse
d Santa Clara valley. He is living a good life and taken care of by his master. But life is not alwa
ys a picnic. When it is the end of 19th century, there comes the gold rush. Big dogs are tremendousl
y wanted for exploring in the North. For Buck, his cozy and happy life comes to an end as he is secr
etly sold to Alaska by one of gardeners without anybody's notice. There, he undergoes a series of th
e most tough things he has ever experienced. In order to survive, Buck forces himself to learn quick
ly and tries to adapt with the environment as fast as he could. Therefore, the original wild dormant
in his body is called out little by little. At last, when his beloved master is killed by Indians,
Buck's wildness explodes. He kills all the Indians for revenge and becomes the leader of a wolf pack
. He goes totally wild. In fact, Buck's wildness is born naturally, which means, his ancestors and p
arents give him the nature to be wild. His father is a huge St. Bernard, and his mother is a Scotch
shepherd. He always has had his wildness in his body. Only because at the beginning he is kept and l
oved by Judge, his first master, Buck's behavior appears to be tame and loyal. He can go hunting wit
h Judge's son; escort Judge's daughters; carry Judge's grandson on his back and lie at Judge's feet.
Buck leads such a comfortable life that he himself cannot realize his natural character---wild. Whe
n he arrives the northern continent, he suffers from a wretched situation. He has to learn from the
beginning because he knows nothing. But everything seems so difficult to him so he has to adjust his
adaptation all the time. Though he is tortured in this new world, his wildness begins to emerge. As
time passes by, he can hear the call of the wild when he is alone. Later the calling becomes strong
er and stronger. In the end, he discovers his wildness that exists in his body since a long time ago
. However, if we think conversely that Buck was not sent to the North, would Buck's natural tempera
ment appear? Would he ever become wild in Judge's place? Nature is someone's character or qualities
that are inborn. Buck's nature is wild. But it doesn't mean he has to be what nature will be. This i
s because his nurture makes him not be. Instead of being born wildly, he has a good master Judge; In
stead of living wildly, he is kept in a large house; Instead of hunting his own food, he is fed by h
umans. All these objective conditions prevent him from being wild. Only when the nurture changes, do
es Buck's nature start coming out. For the first time he sees a woman being attacked by dogs, Buck i
s shocked. Thirty to forty huskies are snarling and yelping. The victim is buried with agony. Though
the men scatter the dogs finally, she lies there limp and lifeless in the bloody, trampled snow, al
most literally torn to pieces. Then Jack London writes: "the scene always came back to Buck to troub
le him in his sleep."(In chapter2) That is because although wildness is Buck's nature, his mind cann
ot accept it as he's never seen such things before. He is even kind of frightened. In his mind, dogs
should love and respect humans. But later in the story, we will see Buck changes gradually. Since t
he nurture around Buck has changed, Buck's nature is dug out. Nurture is the surrounding circumstanc
e. It can affect a person greatly. For Buck, his nurture changes not only conversely, but also const
antly. In order to adapt to it, his wild nature appears more and more obvious. Buck learns the law o
f club when his masters in Alaska hit him cruelly with clubs. So he enhances his body to bear the hi
tting. As the weather is quite opposite from the place he lived before, he learns to dig a hole in t
he snow and sleeps in the chill windy night. Also he cannot relax any more as before. He has to pull
the massive sled and start his journey across the cold, deserted continent from that time on. Buck
is a smart dog, he learns fast. Not long after, he can eat anything; he can hear the faintest sound
in his sleep; he can scent the wind and forecast a night in advance and his muscles become hard as i
ron. Buck develops so rapidly that he becomes the most resilient dog in the team. Meanwhile his natu
re is aroused step by step. Spitz used to be the leader of the dog team. It is inevitable that the c
lash for the leadership between Spitz and Buck will arise. Here Jack London writes: "Buck wanted it.
He wanted it because it was his nature."(In chapter3) Buck used to be respected in Santa Clara vall
ey. He cannot stand being a normal member of the team. He always wants to keep his dignity. So he fi
ghts with Spitz. Fang clashes fang, and lips are cut and bleeding. They are rolling, leaping, yelpin
g, clipping. It is a violent combat. Jack London indicated: "he fought by instinct." Now Buck was no
t scared by the bloody battle. He can fight as well as other dogs. It is his instinct that leads him
to do so. It's not easy for the nurture to call out the nature of Buck. Although the nurture change
s, Buck's wild is forced out, we can see from the story that Buck is confused. One half wants him to
go to wild, the other half wants him to stay. Then there are conflicts between nature and nurture b
ecause they interact each other. When Buck is with his last master John Thornton in the east of Alas
ka, his inherent wild is discovered completely. He hunts animals, he wanders in the forest for days,
he goes on a walk with a wolf and snarls like a wolf. He is becoming wilder and wilder. The call of
the wild is much more stronger than ever before. Jack London shows us with Buck's experience: "Some
times he pursued the call into the forest, looking for it as though it were a tangible thing, barkin
g softly or defiantly, as the mood might dictate." All these things make him feel he belong to the w
ild and like back to wild. But he still has his love master, John. He will always go back for the lo
ve of John. Now the nature and nurture are incompatible as both of them can affect a person or an an
imal very strongly. Buck's feeling is mixed. On one hand, he feels strongly that he belongs to the w
ild and he wants to go back. On the other hand, he loves his master and he wants to stay with him. I
might say if that didn't happen to John, if Buck was always kept by John, he might never have becom
e a real wild dog no matter how strong the call of the wild is. That day Buck decides to hunt a huge
bull as his wildness expands. After four days of battle, Buck succeeds. But when he goes back to th
e camp as usual, he finds that all the people are killed by Yeehat Indians including his John. At th
at very moment, Buck is exasperated and his wildness explodes. He dashes to the Yeehats and bites al
l of them to death. Sad, confused, empty, Buck also feels a little bit excited. For this is the firs
t time he kills humans. He knows this time he is completely wild. Maybe Buck's destiny is to become
wild. Because once he is sent to Alaska, it is irrevocable. In retrospect, the outgrowth of Buck's w
ildness is slowly but inevitable. Nature and nurture exert a tremendous influence on the life of Buc
k. Maybe it is a good thing for Buck to become the leader of the wolves, because he belongs to the w
ild essentially.
nature nurture call wild written jack london famous short novels that known story
about buck buck domestic living kissed santa clara valley living good life taken care master life a
lways picnic when century there comes gold rush dogs tremendously wanted exploring north buck cozy h
appy life comes secretly sold alaska gardeners without anybody notice there undergoes series most to
ugh things ever experienced order survive forces himself learn quickly tries adapt with environment
fast could therefore original wild dormant body called little little last when beloved master killed
indians wildness explodes kills indians revenge becomes leader wolf pack goes totally wild fact wil
dness born naturally which means ancestors parents give nature father huge bernard mother scotch she
pherd always wildness body only because beginning kept loved judge first master behavior appears tam
e loyal hunting with judge escort judge daughters carry grandson back feet leads such comfortable th
at himself cannot realize natural character when arrives northern continent suffers from wretched si
tuation learn from beginning because knows nothing everything seems difficult adjust adaptation time
though tortured this world begins emerge time passes hear call alone later calling becomes stronger
stronger discovers that exists body since long time however think conversely sent north would natur
al temperament appear would ever become place nature someone character qualities inborn doesn mean w
hat will this because nurture makes instead being born wildly good instead living wildly kept large
house instead hunting food humans these objective conditions prevent from being only nurture changes
does start coming first sees woman being attacked dogs shocked thirty forty huskies snarling yelpin
g victim buried with agony though scatter dogs finally lies there limp lifeless bloody trampled snow
almost literally torn pieces then jack london writes scene always came back trouble sleep chapter a
lthough mind cannot accept never seen such things before even kind frightened mind should love respe
ct humans later story will changes gradually since around changed surrounding circumstance affect pe
rson greatly changes only conversely also constantly order adapt appears more more obvious learns cl
ub masters alaska cruelly clubs enhances bear hitting weather quite opposite place lived before lear
ns hole snow sleeps chill windy night also cannot relax more before pull massive sled start journey
across cold deserted continent smart learns fast long after anything hear faintest sound sleep scent
wind forecast night advance muscles become hard iron develops rapidly becomes most resilient team m
eanwhile aroused step step spitz used leader team inevitable clash leadership between spitz will ari
se here jack london writes wanted wanted chapter used respected santa clara valley stand normal memb
er team wants keep dignity fights spitz fang clashes fang lips bleeding they rolling leaping yelping
clipping violent combat indicated fought instinct scared bloody battle fight well other instinct le
ads easy call although forced story confused half wants other half wants stay then conflicts between
they interact each other last john thornton east alaska inherent discovered completely hunts animal
s wanders forest days goes walk wolf snarls like wolf becoming wilder wilder much stronger than ever
shows experience sometimes pursued into forest looking though were tangible thing barking softly de
fiantly mood might dictate these things make feel belong like back still love john love john incompa
tible both them affect person animal very strongly feeling mixed hand feels strongly belongs hand lo
ves stay might didn happen kept might never have become real matter strong decides hunt huge bull ex
pands after four days battle succeeds goes camp usual finds people killed yeehat indians including v
ery moment exasperated explodes dashes yeehats bites them death confused empty also feels little exc
ited this first kills humans knows completely maybe destiny once sent irrevocable retrospect outgrow
th slowly inevitable exert tremendous influence maybe good thing leader wolves belongs essentiallyEs
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