Call of the Wild Activity Sheet
Chatterbooks in Lockdown
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Written in 1903, this classic book was made into a film starring Harrison Ford in
early 2020. It is set in Canada's Yukon territory and Alaska in the 1890s at the time of the "Klondike Gold Rush". This was when thousands of men (and some women) left their homes and
families in search of gold, with no certainty that they would be successful.
The story is told from the perspective of Buck, a big strong dog, the type vital to gold prospectors to haul heavy sledges through the deep snow. Although the story is at times brutal and
upsetting, it is also a story of survival and of perseverance. Hopefully you found it a rewarding read – but just how well did you read it? See if you can answer these quiz questions:
Not read it yet? Read Call of the Wild now.
- What breed of dog is Buck?
- Where does Buck live at the beginning of the novel?
- What is the name of Buck's first master?
- Who kidnaps Buck from his home?
- How does Buck learn to survive the cold winter nights?
- Why were thousands of men rushing to the North land?
- Who is Buck's great rival in the team of dogs?
- What does Buck demand after the death of this great rival?
- Who buys Buck and the other dogs when sold by the Mail Company?
- What does Mercedes insist on doing that slows the sled down?
- How does John Thornton save Buck's life?
- How does Buck return the favour by saving John Thornton's life?
- What bet does Thornton win with Matthewson?
- What quest sends Thornton and friends into the Wilderness?
- What happens to Thornton at the end of the novel?
- What does Buck do at the end of the novel?
History
If you have enjoyed the story, perhaps you would like to find out more about the Gold Rush.
Begin by looking at what the USA was like at this time. What situation would motivate men to undertake so perilous a journey at all? How would you prepare for such a trek? What would you take with you? (Food, equipment, tools).
The Characters
Buck lives with different people and animals during the story. Some are good, some are bad. Write a sentence about Buck's feelings towards the following people/animals:
- Judge Miller
- Francois and Perrault
- Spitz
- Hal, Mercedes and Charles
- John Thornton
- The man in the red sweater
- The wolf
The Narrator
Buck is the narrator of this story so we are told of events from his point of view.
- What other stories can you think of that have an animal as the narrator?
- Do you think in this case, it makes for a better story?
- Why do you think Jack London chose to tell the story from Buck’s viewpoint?
The End
Given a choice, do you think Buck would choose to return to the life he had at the beginning of the book or was he more satisfied with the life he ended up with?
Call of the Wild Wordsearch
- What breed of dog is Buck? Half St. Bernard, half Scotch Shepherd.
- Where does Buck live at the beginning of the novel? Santa Clare Valley, California
- What is the name of Buck's first master? Judge Miller
- Who kidnaps Buck from his home? Manuel, a gardener with gambling debts
- How does Buck learn to survive the cold winter nights? By digging a hole in the snow and curling into a tight ball
- Why were thousands of men rushing to the North land? To find gold
- Who is Buck's great rival in the team of dogs? Spitz
- What does Buck demand after the death of this great rival? He would be the lead dog
- Who buys Buck and the other dogs when sold by the Mail Company? Hal and Charles
- What does Mercedes insist on doing that slows the sled down? Riding on the sled herself
- How does John Thornton save Buck's life? Prevents Hal beating him to death
- How does Buck return the favour by saving John Thornton's life? When he gets caught in the rapids, he pulls him to safety
- What bet does Thornton win with Matthewson? That Buck can pull a sled loaded with 1000 pounds
- What quest sends Thornton and friends into the Wilderness? Search for a legendary lost mine
- What happens to Thornton at the end of the novel? Killed by Indians
- What does Buck do at the end of the novel? Joins a wolf pack
Page last updated: 14th September 2020