Wildness and Vitality

Wildness and Vitality Published in 1903，The Call of the Wild has enjoyed great popularity since then. Till now, it has been translated into more than 80 different languages, and there are more than 30 translations in China. Inspired by a trip to Dawson, Jack London，A famous American realist writer of the 20th century，wrote this stirring novel. Born in a bankrupt family, Jack London had a suffering life. His struggling life contributed to his creation of socialist works, and The Call of the Wild is no exception. Admittedly, there are several factors that account for the success of the novel. From my perspective, it can be attributed to three major aspects. Initially, the language style which is majestic and grand adds to the brilliance of the work. It can be said with certainty that the stirring power of the book is realized through its epic language. In this novel, the author mainly focuses on the description of the snowy fields of the northern country, which greatly contributes to the thrilling atmosphere created by the author. Additionally, multiple narrative perspectives enrich the novel in artistic features. Jack London uses a third-person omnipotent narrative to tell the story.But the difference is that the story is sometimes told from the outside world, and sometimes the world is seen through the eyes of Buck, the hero of the novel. For example, the background description in the first chapter of the novel is narrated from the outside world. Nevertheless, in the subsequent scenes, Jack London creatively changes the narrative perspective, and the story is told from Buck's perspective. Last but not least, it is the profound theme of survival that gives it an edge over many other excellent works. Firstly, though Jack London did not completely get rid of human centralism, he did show his respect for life and nature.Taking dog as the protagonist, to a certain extent, challenges the idea that "people are dominators of all things.”Unlike secular views, the image of a dog in this novel contrasts sharply with that of a person. Buck is brave, kind, loyal, grateful, and it has strong adaptability along with excellent leadership skills, while most humans are hypocritical and cruel. Under this circumstances, dogs are no longer simple tools and vassals in the traditional sense, but the strong creatures with their own value and meaning. Secondly, set in the background of wildness, this novel warns us that the wildness is inaccessible to humans. Generally speaking, wilderness is a symphony of natural life, and humans, like other animals, are just a small part of the music. Buck breaks away from the shackles of human civilization and senses the call of the wildness, which symbolizes his resistance to human centralism. Apparently, the process of resistance mirrors the human’s oppression and destruction of ecology, which deserves our deep self-reflection. Undeniably, this is a story of a dog, but this is more than a story of a dog. On a personal note,The Call of the Wild is actually a story about humanity and vitality. We humans should learn about the strange and elusive motives in our soul and all life should show its vitality under the blue sky, free and beautiful.