Character List Analysis

"Thus, as token of what a puppet thing life is the ancient song surged through him and he came into his own again. "

Genre

London's story is in the genre of adventure fiction, though with a realistic historical setting; sub-genre is survival.

Primary Themes

Survival

~Man/Dog vs. nature
~Man vs. man
~Man vs. dog
~Dog vs. dog

The law of club and fang

Secondary Themes

~Authority hierarchies (dominant primordial beast)
~Some scars never heal (physical and emotional)
~Instinct rules: kill what you eat, trust your reflexes, trust no one, you might survive

Comparative Themes

~Discipline with compassion (Thornton) vs. violence (other men)
~Conform vs. fight
~Brains vs. brawn (Buck has both)
~Trust (Buck lets Thornton heal him) vs. distrust (Buck endures a beating rather than make an unsafe river crossing)