Draw Conclusion: 

What purpose does the dog serve in this story? How do London's descriptions of the dog reveal its
function in the story?

The dog serves as a contrast to the inexperienced man. The dog and the man represent two
different points of view where the dog does not understand his master’s behavior, but he does
follow and obey him as the possession of fear and trust.
Connect: Think about the two themes you considered in questions 5 and 6. How do these two themese -- survival of the
fittest and the power of nature or fate--interact and build on each other in this story? 

The two themes interact in a way in which man will always fail at survival of the fittest when the
enemy is the nature. He didn’t notice the warnings from the nature and was not fortified to
handle and withstand what nature can give.

Draw Conclusions: Throughout the story, the man remembers "the old-timer on Sulphur Creek" and his advice. Find examples
and note the man's response at each point in the story when he remembers the old-timer's advice. What conclusions can you draw
about the man's character based on these thoughts?
Throughout the story the man remembers the old man’s advice to either admit the old man
was right or to think that he is womanish. As mentioned in this quote:” All this the man knew.
The old man on Sulfur Creek had told him about it. And now he was grateful for the advice”, he
admitted that the man was right. If the man had a companion on the trail, he would not be in
danger. His mind went to the thought of old man of Sulfur Creek. “You were right, old fellow.
You were right,” he murmured to the old man of Sulphur Creek.

Compare: Reread lines 27-44 and lines 72-89.  How do the dog and the man differ in their understanding of the cold? Which of
them seems better adapted to this setting?
The man is guided by arrogance while the dog was guided by instinct. The man doesn’t respect
both the nature and the dog, and he must struggle against nature and do decisions such as the
decision to set out into the Klondike even though danger is present. The dog knew that it is too
cold to travel thus this made the dog survive while the man freezes to death in snow.

Analyze: Works of naturalism often address the theme of survival of the fittest. Give examples that show how London's story
develops this theme. What message does the story convey about the survival of the fittest?
As referred to the Jack London’s story “Call of the Wild” which is a classic story of naturalism reflecting the strength in the
wildlife. The story shows a clear example of the struggle for life and the survival of the fittest under difficult conditions. The
story transmits realism of the rough conditions in the wilderness besides the story of the dog.

Cite Evidence: Cite details form the first two paragraphs of the story that support the idea that it is
work realism. How do these details contribute to the story's realism?

Realism was evident in the first few paragraphs through the description of the climate, the
area, and the necessity to survive. When the man turned aside from the main Yukon trail and
climbed the high earth bank where a dim trail led the direction eastward. He paused for breath
at the top of a steep bank and excusing his act by looking at his watch. It was a clear day, but
there seemed indefinable dark cloud over the face of things, a delicate shadow that made the
day dark and this is because of the absence of sun. this incident did not scare the man because
he is used to it. It has been days since the man sees the sun and he was aware that there will
be more days that needs to pass before the sun would peep above the skyline.

Evaluate: Naturalism also considers larger forces that control human lives, such as nature or fate. Does London think that the
man ever had a change in this harsh climate, or was he doomed from the start? Explain.

The magnificence of nature is set side by side with the weakness of man; this shows how
London was all about the philosophy of naturalism. The man staying out in temperatures alone,
makes no one withstand the troubles to failure.