ChaptEr 6: For the love of a man
Discussion Questions:
1.) How did Buck's relationship with John Thornton differ from his relationships with his previous masters? How does London illustrate Buck's intense feelings for Thornton? How is this in keeping with his new, more primitive self? How does Buck balance his love for Thornton with his more primitive self? The relationship with John and his other masters are a lot different john is a lot more far and nice to him than is other masters. She is saying that john is a lot nicer. Buck is better like that. He love s john because he is far and nice to him.
2.) What does London mean by the following quotation: "He was older than the days he had seen and the breaths he had drawn." She is saying that Buck is getting older by the days go by.
3.) How does Buck's love for Thornton compare to Dave's love of toiling in the traces? They are the same because they both like doing them a lot.
4.) Explain the meaning of the following quotation:
Each day mankind and the claims of mankind slipped farther from him. Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and as often as he
heard this call, mysteriously thrilling and luring, he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire, and to plunge into the forest...But as
often as he gained the soft unbroken earth and the green share, the love of John Thornton drew him back to the fire again.
The quote means that Buck loves John Thorton very much and that John Thorton loves Buck to
Vocabulary:
Eloquent - wow amazed at something “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! you can all but speak!”
Nudge - not like someone or something “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.”
Reverently - amazed at one thing “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! you can all but speak!”
Feigned - lisining to someone“And as Buck understood the oaths to be love words, so the man understood this feigned bite for a caress.”
Transient - to go somewhere and to do something “His transient masters since he had come into the Northland had bred in him a fear that no master could be permanent.”
Aroused -around someone and they are not happy “But in spite of this great love he bore John Thornton, which seemed to bespeak the soft civilizing influence, the strain of the primitive, which the Northland had aroused in him, remained alive and active.”
Tenderfoot -not nice people“Black" Burton, a man evil-tempered and malicious, had been picking a quarrel with a tenderfoot at the bar, when Thornton stepped good-naturedly between.”
Contagion - to feel bad to get something to have “He had caught the contagion of the excitement, and he felt that in some way he must do a great thing for
Activities (choose one):
1.) List Buck's similarities with John Thornton.
Leaders
Far
Love each other
Care for each other
They are friends
They both like each other
1.) How did Buck's relationship with John Thornton differ from his relationships with his previous masters? How does London illustrate Buck's intense feelings for Thornton? How is this in keeping with his new, more primitive self? How does Buck balance his love for Thornton with his more primitive self? The relationship with John and his other masters are a lot different john is a lot more far and nice to him than is other masters. She is saying that john is a lot nicer. Buck is better like that. He love s john because he is far and nice to him.
2.) What does London mean by the following quotation: "He was older than the days he had seen and the breaths he had drawn." She is saying that Buck is getting older by the days go by.
3.) How does Buck's love for Thornton compare to Dave's love of toiling in the traces? They are the same because they both like doing them a lot.
4.) Explain the meaning of the following quotation:
Each day mankind and the claims of mankind slipped farther from him. Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and as often as he
heard this call, mysteriously thrilling and luring, he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire, and to plunge into the forest...But as
often as he gained the soft unbroken earth and the green share, the love of John Thornton drew him back to the fire again.
The quote means that Buck loves John Thorton very much and that John Thorton loves Buck to
Vocabulary:
Eloquent - wow amazed at something “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! you can all but speak!”
Nudge - not like someone or something “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.”
Reverently - amazed at one thing “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! you can all but speak!”
Feigned - lisining to someone“And as Buck understood the oaths to be love words, so the man understood this feigned bite for a caress.”
Transient - to go somewhere and to do something “His transient masters since he had come into the Northland had bred in him a fear that no master could be permanent.”
Aroused -around someone and they are not happy “But in spite of this great love he bore John Thornton, which seemed to bespeak the soft civilizing influence, the strain of the primitive, which the Northland had aroused in him, remained alive and active.”
Tenderfoot -not nice people“Black" Burton, a man evil-tempered and malicious, had been picking a quarrel with a tenderfoot at the bar, when Thornton stepped good-naturedly between.”
Contagion - to feel bad to get something to have “He had caught the contagion of the excitement, and he felt that in some way he must do a great thing for
Activities (choose one):
1.) List Buck's similarities with John Thornton.
Leaders
Far
Love each other
Care for each other
They are friends
They both like each other