《野性的呼唤》中对忠诚的呼唤

摘要：《野性的呼唤》是杰克.伦敦的代表作之一，小说的主人公巴克（Buck）是一条狗。本文分析了小说中巴克与主人的关系，以唤醒人们忠诚的人性。

关键词：《野性的呼唤》；巴克；约翰.桑顿; 忠诚

Ⅰ. Introduction

“The Call of the Wild was the greatest dog-story ever written and was at the same time a study of one of the most curious and profound motives that played hide-and-seek in the human soul.” ［1］（254）The dog is not only an animal but has features of human beings. By comparing Buck’s attitudes and behavior to its masters with the way the masters treat Buck, and analyzing Buck’s response to John Thornton’s death, we can see that the author expresses the desire for faith in this novel.

Ⅱ. Buck and its masters

Before the domestic dog eventually turns into the leader of the wolves in the wilderness of the Klondike, Buck has served five sets of masters in all―Judge Miller and his families, Perrault and Francois, a Scotch half-breed, three chekakos―a term referring to those people who are inexperienced in the Northland―Charles, Mercedes and Hal, and John Thornton. They in turn own Buck. However, as Jack London puts it at the beginning of Chapter Six―“For the Love of a Man”, only John Thornton is considered to be “the ideal master.” ［2］（54） Why?

It is partly because he is Buck’s savior first and foremost. Just at the crucial moment when Buck is nearly beaten to death, it is John Thornton who saves Buck’s life from the deadly blows administered by Hal. Then, Thornton devotes considerable time and patience as he nurses Buck back to health. For another reason, in contrast to Buck’s relationship with other masters, the one between Buck and Thornton is on London’s idea of what cordial and solid relationship should ideally be.

First of all, in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley, Buck “was born, and here he had lived the four years of his life”, and “he was king―king over all creeping, crawling, flying things of Judge Miller’s place, humans included.” ［2］（17）

Buck proves to be the Judge’s inseparable companion, yet there is only a mutual respect between the Judge and the dog, not much affection or love is actually involved in their relationship. In Judge Miller’s place Buck loves its masters and is loyal to them. He is arrogant and trusts in men he knows. Because of this reason he is betrayed by men and sent north as sled-dog.

After being kidnapped from the sweet bondage of home, Buck is sent to and given the first and cruel lesson by a man in the red sweater, “a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed, though not necessarily conciliated.” ［2］（22） Soon, two government courtiers, Perrault and Francois, buy Buck and become Buck’s second set of masters. To Buck, they “were fair men, calm and impartial in administering the justice” and, most important, “too wise in the ways of dogs.” ［2］（23） Their rough but humane discipline and their hardy devotion to work, in consequence, keeps peace among the dogs and wins Buck’s respect. Anyhow, all they have done is for one purpose only: to make full use of their dogs to deliver the dispatches as speedily as possible.

To Perrault and Francois, Buck develops no affection for them, but he none the less grows honesty to respect them. He obeys orders and does what he should do. Buck and his mates performance well, but Perrault and Francois leave them. Thus, their relationship is, in fact, a “working partnership” in addition to some sense of “friendship”.

After departing from these two masters, Buck and his teammates pass into the hands of another master―a “Scotch half-breed”. Buck doesn’t like him, but Buck works hard. In fact, the man is fair. He respects the dogs and does his best to spare their suffering. However, the man overworks Buck and the other dogs almost beyond endurance.

Then Charles and Hal buy Buck and his mates. They treat the dog-team badly and are callous to the suffering of their animals. At John Thornton’s camp, Buck falls down and doesn’t carry out the order because he is extremely feeble and he knows there is danger on the way the dog-team will step on. Hal is annoyed at Buck’s attitude and he beats Buck heavily，but Buck doesn’t attack back or run away，he doesn’t feel the pain，either “He felt strangely numb.” ［2］（51）John Thornton saves Buck when Hal beats Buck almost to death.

Fortunately, Buck’s unyielding spirit wins John Thornton’s sympathy and a sense of justice. At the dog’s life-or-death moment, Thornton intervenes and manages to keep Buck in his camp. Not only does John Thornton rescue Buck, but the man also attends to Buck, with great patience, to help the dog recover. Up to this point, Buck’s situation has worsened with each change of master. Now, as an “ideal master”, John Thornton, who sees to his dogs as if they were his own children, lavishes affection on Buck and treats him in a way totally different from that of the other masters’. Buck develops strong affection for John Thornton. At John Thornton’s camp, Buck gets the true love. Their relationship proves to be a kind of kinship, like that between the father and the son. As Joan D. Hedrick puts in Solitary Comrade: Jack London and His Work that:

“The bonds that tied Perrault and Francois to Buck were bonds of duty and work and were lightly snapped. The bonds that tie Buck and John Thornton are bonds of love and can be broken, if at all, only by death.” ［3］（106）

Ⅲ. Buck’s Devotion to John Thornton

As John Thornton accepts Buck for what the dog is, the respect that Buck feels for his master has quickly developed into a feverish and burning admiration and affection.

Firstly, Buck gives up his own animalistic instincts in order to be Thornton’s companion. It is out of his faithfulness and devotion to Thornton that Buck is able to withstand the fascinating lure of the “call of the wild”; “the love for John Thornton drew him back to the fire again . Thornton alone held him. The rest of mankind was as nothing.” ［2］（58）

Secondly, Buck is totally obedient to Thornton’s orders and commands. When Thornton’s partners, Hans and Pete, arrive with the long-awaited raft, Buck refuses to acknowledge them, except as friends of Thornton. He feels loyalty only to Thornton.

Buck’s loyalty also demonstrates in his response to John Thornton’s death. When John Thornton is killed by the Indians, Buck is absolutely fierce. He throws himself upon the Indians. He tears wide the throat of the chief of the Indians and killed several Indians. All day Buck broods by the pool or roans restlessly about the camp. He knows John Thornton is dead. At night, when he hears the call in the forest, he is ready to obey because “John Thornton was dead. The last tie was broken. Man and the claims of man no longer bound him.” ［2］（62） Buck joins the wolves.

Last but not least, long after Thornton’s death, Buck never forgets his beloved master. Every summer, Buck always pays a visit to the valley where John Thornton sleeps forever. There, “he muses for a time, howling once, long and mournfully, ere he departs.” ［2］（74） Death may tear the man and the dog apart but their spiritual bond remains. This kind of faithfulness, rare perhaps even among human beings, is certainly something that the writer holds dearly and regards highly.

Ⅳ. Conclusion

From Buck’ s attitudes and behavior towards its masters, the way the masters treat Buck and Buck’ s response to John Thornton’ s death, we can see that Buck’ s returning to the wild is caused by human beings who is greedy and indifferent. Buck works hard but he doesn’t get the love from his masters. Buck gets the true love from John Thornton, but he is killed by the Indians. John Thornton’s death is an important reason of causing Buck to return to the wild. When John is killed, the last tie is broken, he has to return to the wild. Buck’s returning to the wild reveals what the author yearns for. He wants to arouse people’s love for the others through Buck’s returning to the wild. ［4］（231）

References:

［1］ Charles A. Sanburg, “Jack London: A Common Man” in TCLC9 ［M］, Gale Company, 1978.

［2］ Paul J. Horowitz(ed.). Jack London: Three Novels The Call of the Wild White Fang The Sea-Wolf and Forty Short Stories. New York: Gramercy Books, 1993.

［3］ Joan D. Hedrick. Solitary Comrade Jack London and His Work, Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press,1982.

［4］ Hu Yintong & Liu Shuwen (Eds), A Course in American Literature ［M］, Tianjing: NanKai University Press, 1995.