Why was thornton the ideal master

And when, released, he sprang to his feet, his mouth laughing, his eyes eloquent, his throat vibrant with unuttered sound, and in that fashion remained without movement, John Thornton would reverently exclaim, "God! Buck had a trick of love expression that was akin to hurt. He would often seize Thornton's hand in his mouth and close so fiercely that the flesh bore the impress of his teeth for some time afterward.

And as Buck understood the oaths to be love words, so the man understood this feigned bite for a caress. For the most part, however, Buck's love was expressed in adoration. While he went wild with happiness when Thornton touched him or spoke to him, he did not seek these tokens.

Unlike Skeet, who was wont to shove her nose under Thornton's hand and nudge and nudge till petted, or Nig, who would stalk up and rest his great head on Thornton's knee, Buck was content to adore at a distance. He would lie by the hour, eager, alert, at Thornton's feet, looking up into his face, dwelling upon it, studying it, following with keenest interest each fleeting expression, every movement or change of feature.

If the terrible trio of Hal, Charles, and Mercedes comprises the worst master possible for an animal, then Thornton may be the best. This is the first time, London emphasizes, that Buck has actually felt love for a human being—perhaps because it is the first time that he is neither a pampered pet nor a drudge, toiling away to pull a sled. The relationship of man to dog, the novel suggests, is not a creation of civilization—rather, it is a much more primal bond that can survive even in a dog like Buck, whose civilized veneer is almost entirely scraped away to expose the wild animal beneath.

Buck is no longer a pet or a slave, but he still has a master. He has not yet become an animal of the wild. SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Themes Motifs Symbols. Mini Essays Suggested Essay Topics. Page 1 Page 2.

Summary Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and. An evil-tempered and malicious man named "Black" Burton is bullying a young "tenderfoot" in a bar a tenderfoot is an inexperienced person in the frontier. When John Thornton tries to prevent a nasty fight, Burton strikes Thornton solidly and sends him sprawling.

Immediately, Buck attacks the man, and even though Burton is able to protect himself from two different lunges by the dog, Buck is finally able to tear open the man's throat.

A meeting is immediately called, and it is decided that Buck had sufficient provocation for defending his master against violence. Later on that year, Buck again proves his worth by again saving Thornton's life.

While attempting to maneuver some dangerous rapids, Thornton's boat overturns, flinging him into the cold, swirling water, which, in turn, sweeps him into the midst of such wild rapids that not even a strong swimmer could survive.

Buck does not hesitate to act; he swims out to Thornton, who knows that they are not strong enough to conquer the turbulent rapids. Thus he orders Buck back to the shore, and even though Buck hates to desert his master, he nevertheless obeys Thornton's commands.

Once on shore, Hans and Pete tie a long rope to Buck's collar and send him back into the water with it. Buck launches boldly out into the stream, but finds that he cannot travel straight enough, and he misses Thornton by only a few yards. Again, he returns to shore, where the rope is once again attached to him. There, they discover that Buck has two broken ribs, and Thornton announces that they will not break camp until Buck's ribs are fully healed.

A third episode concerning Buck's extraordinary character occurs sometime later, and it is such a feat that Buck's fame spreads throughout all Alaska.

It begins in a saloon, where some men are boasting of the exploits of their dogs. Thornton is intrigued and is driven to maintain that Buck can pull a sled with a thousand pounds on it.

Furthermore, he says, Buck can break the sled loose — even if it is frozen fast — and, furthermore, that he can pull it a hundred yards. A man named Matthewson bets Thornton that Buck cannot do such an incredible feat; in fact, he is willing to bet a thousand dollars that Buck cannot do it. Thornton, at this point, momentarily becomes unsure whether or not Buck can actually perform such an enormous and appalling task, and he is confused as to what to do, since neither he, nor Hans, nor Pete has a thousand dollars.

At that moment, however, an old friend of Thornton's, Jim O'Brien, walks into the saloon and offers to lend Thornton a thousand dollars.