分析《野性的呼唤》中巴克回归自然的原因毕业论文.doc

【标题】分析野性的呼唤中巴克回归自然的原因 【作者】文程娟 【关键词】回归；原因；冷酷；追求与向往 【指导老师】吴学容 【专业】英语 【正文】I. IntroductionThe Call of the Wild, written by Jack London, was a very famous work in literature field. American writer, Jack London, was very good at describing things and society in the shoes of animals, that is, in personification. So does this work. In this novel, the story happened in the process of gold rush where people need benefit themselves on the basis of others loss or sufferings. Dog protagonist, Buck, was living in this circumstance. He experienced both the warmth and the coldness of human society. Jack London used the style of personification to describe the nature of human and the world in dogs eye which can full reveal the coldness and cruelty of the Capitalist Society. There are many reasons, both in subjective and objective that led the return of Buck to the wild. Many scholars in domestic have made some studies of this work which were meaningful. It not only can help us learn some society and literary knowledge but also understand this classic work clearly and deeply.Bucks return to the wild was not caused by one reason but many. The subjective ones were the characteristics of Buck himself which were hidden in human warmth and revealed in the struggles to survive. The main objective reason was the fact of Struggle for Existence that no one can escape, and other reasons included the coldness and cruelty of human society and the call of the wild. Bucks life in this cruel and cold circumstance decided that his return to the wild was not occasional but inevitable. However, the author, Jack London, also made some drama effects. The experiences of Buck in human society were not the only purpose for Jack London to write this story, but to criticize the darkness of the Capitalist Society and reflect his wish, that is, the desire of freedom and dream.There will be five main reasons analyzed in this essay, including the characteristics of Buck; the brutal principle of Struggle for Existence; people behaviors in the process of gold rush; the call of the wild and the drama effect made by Jack London. Literature ReviewA. The Background of the authorJack LondonJack London was a famous and productive American realistic writer who lived in 20th century with rich but hard experiences in all his life. He came from lower class with a suffering childhood and had a better understanding of the life of poor people. Because of his poor birth and background, Jack London tried many ways to get rid of the poor situation. Such as, went outside to do part-time job; to be sailor and joined the troop of gold rush. Unfortunately, these tries didnt change the suffering situation. But he didnt lose the interest in reading. Books companied him during all his hard life. Those hard experiences enriched his knowledge which made contribution to his later writing work. He began his writing career after his failure of gold rush in Alaska. His works were full of strength and strong revealing. The work, the Call of the Wild, was one of his most famous animal novels, in which the gold rush life filled with dangers and struggles of dogs in this special circumstance were deeply described.Jack London left more than 50 pieces of works in his 16 years writing career. After being well-known, he indulged in the pleasure of materials. At last, he committed suicide because of the emptiness and disappointment in his mental world.B. The Story of the Call of the WildThe story mainly talked about the process of dog protagonist, Bucks return from human civilization to primitive wild living with the wolves. Buck was a very strong wolf dog with 140 pounds in weight. He could have lived a comfortable life in a Judges place. Unluckily, he was stolen to sell by Judges gardener. He was first sold to the Post Office then two French Canadian. These dogs were not only abused by brutal human, but also had to fight and kill with each other for survival. Because of the powerfulness both in physical and mind, Buck won the former leader to be the new leader in the sledding team after a serious fight. Buck had been sold several times in his life with human. Finally he was adopted by John Thornton just when he was beaten nearly to death. Buck recovered quickly under the careful treatment of John Thornton and they made friends with each other. Buck was extremely faithful to his new master. He had ever saved John Thornton twice from dangers. Unfortunately, John Thornton was killed in the process of gold rush. Buck was very angry and bit several Indians to death to take his masters revenge. He had no affection for human society any more after the death of his master. Meanwhile, there was always a call in forest attracting him. Finally, he obeyed the call and returned to the wild living with wolves. However, he didnt forget John Thornton but mourn for his master regularly. The Subjective Reason of Bucks Returnthe Characteristics of BuckBuck had the characteristics of wolf all the time. His wild nature was only hidden in humans society but not disappeared. When he lived in the sledding team and suffered disastrous experience, its no doubt that his wild nature will be revived one day, and lead his return to the wild at last. Bucks birth made him has the characteristics of wolves. Buck was a half-breed whose father was a huge St. Bernard dog and mother a Scotch shepherd dog. Therefore, He grew up with a strong body of St. Bernard dog and cunning of shepherd dog. He learned to fight with cut; slash and quick wolf snap easily when he went hunting with his master in his earlier life, for this was also the manners of his ancestors. When chasing a snowshoe rabbit, he wanted to run the wild thing down and killed it with his teeth and felt a sense of joy to kill. Bucks instincts of wolf had never disappeared but been hidden by comfortable life in human society. The sledding life made his old instincts revived gradually. He was clever and cunning. The fight with Spitz, the leader dog of the team, was evidence. When he thought the time was not advantageous for him to beat Spitz down , he avoided conflicting with Spitz directly but thought of many ways against Spitz, such as interference between Spitz and culprits in the absence of his master; rebellion in secret. After the death of Spitz, he thought he would be the leader dog. When his master didnt do what he thought of, he refused to sled in the condition that he must be in the leader position. His master had no method but obeyed him. Meanwhile, he adapted the environment quickly. For example, after experiencing the sorrow of being beaten by club, he realized that the struggle and revolt were in vain when meeting with club. So he would be a good dog in this situation. In the life of sledding, he even gave up the fastidious habits and ate disgust food to make himself strong after being aware of the true reality; he also learned how to find a comfortable place to sleep and how to steal food without being suspected and caught. In fact, all his nature was kept in his mind even though he lived with human. The life and experiences in the sledding team just created a condition for his natures revival.The call in Bucks inner world was another factor of his wild revival and return. Although he loved John Thornton deeply, the primitive instincts still remained alive and active. He was faithful and devoted, but he still retained his wildness and wiliness for he was a thing of the wild. He would not steal John Thorntons things but others without being suspected. The best thing Buck loved to do was to lie beside the fire. However, he would not think of the comfortable life in Judges place for it was far away from him and had no influence on him anymore. The most powerful thing was the memories of his heredity that could give things he had never seen before a seeming familiarity which in fact were the memories of his ancestors. And these memories were revived in his body in later days. Actually, he kept the nature in mind and desired returning to wild. But it was just the love for John Thornton that kept him in human society. Sometimes he did things without realization. Every time he heard the yelps in forest, he couldnt help turning his back upon the fire and the beaten earth around it and plunging into the forest and ran and ran. He didnt know where or why; nor did he wonder where or why. When he chased a snowshoe rabbit, he only wanted to kill it with his sharp teeth, but he still didnt know why he wanted to do it like this. Buck also had a patience of the wild, which was expressed when he hunted living food. Buck showed this patience when he clung to the flank of the herd. He didnt kill the target one at once but shadow the group and separated it from their group for his power was not enough against a group. At last he pulled the great moose down after four days shadow and ate it in a primitive way full of wild joy. He did this in the ways of wolves and enjoyed the victory. All of these happened from Bucks instincts even he himself didnt realize it. The Objective Reasons of Bucks Return to the WildExcept for the subjective reason of Bucks return to the wild which was caused by Bucks characteristics, there are also objective reasons, including the brutal principle of Struggle for Existence; the coldness of peoples behaviors in the process of gold rush; the call of the wild and the drama effect. All of them are helpful to the revival of Bucks wild nature. They are very important leading the return of Buck to the wild. A. The Brutal Principle of Struggle for Existence Natural principles were disciplines that nobody can violate. When facing them, people can do nothing but obey them and do things regularly. The evolution of living creatures was also the product of natural principles.1. The Introduction of Darwins Theory of Struggle for Existence and Natural SelectionDarwin was a very famous British biologist who wrote a book called the Origin of Species. In the book he proposed the principles of Struggle for Existence and Natural Selection.Struggle for ExistenceAccording to Darwin, every species will have relations with its surroundings in the life process, and every life will compete and fight with others for existence, for the surroundings will influence its life and descendants. So the species must fight with the circumstance around him. 1Natural SelectionThere always exists struggles among living things. The fittest will survive and the unfittest will be eliminated. The species inherits and evolutes in this way.2 This is so-called Natural Selection. The Darwins theory has made a great contribution to species evolution.2. The Cruel Survival Rules Which Leads the Revival of Bucks Wild NatureJust like what Wang Changrong, a Chinese scholar, said in his work, the History of American Modern Novels, the determined factors of Bucks moderate characteristics in human society and his return to the wild at the end are the environment and condition.3 Actually, Darwins theory of Struggle for Existence and Natural Selection were completely expressed in Bucks life. His strong, cunning and treacherous nature was gradually showed in order to survive. Actually, Buck was also the product of natural principles. He lived and behaved with natural disciplines. Since he wanted to survive in the sledding team, he had to learn something cunning and treacherous to remain his position. In the process of being sold to be a sledding dog, Buck wanted to give these hated people a lesson to show his anger. Unfortunately, he got a lesson himself. He was beaten by a strong club seriously. The more excitedly he revolted, the heavily the club beat. This was a turning point of Bucks awareness. He realized that this was a brutal world; a man with a club was a lawgiver, and a master to be obeyed. 4 So he learned to be a good dog to satisfy his master.The fate of Curly, one of Bucks partners, who made advances to a husky dog in her friendly way but finally be tumbled and nibbled by a group of dogs let Buck knew that this was a world that the strong would exist but the weak be eliminated. The only way to survive in this world was to be strong and never be beaten down instead of enduring only. Therefore he tried his best to learn the rules to survive. He learned how to sleep comfortable in snowfield; how to fight and steal things without being caught. He even lost his fastidiousness about food to make himself stronger. Learning how to steal things symbolized the degeneration and collapse of Bucks morality cultivated in human civilization society; for he knew that the morality in this serious circumstance was an obstacle, being stronger and cunning were the most important thing. He got this lesson by an experience that his food was stolen. In order to live in this sledding team, he must win Spitz to be the leader, or he would always be oppressed by Spitz. He waited his time with patience and avoided conflicting with Spitz directly. But he would think of many ways against Spitz. When the time was proper, he tried his best to kill Spitz and to be the leader dog. All of these made contributions to the revival of Bucks primitive nature.B. The Behaviors of People in the Process of Gold RushAfter the death of John Thornton, Buck had no affection for human society and chose to return to the wild. The exterior reason was the attitude of human towards him. In the process of gold rush, peoples behaviors were so selfish, cold and cruel that Buck thought its not meaningful to remain there anymore. To some extent, peoples behaviors at that time were a direct reason causing the return of Buck.1. The Cruelty and Coldness of PeopleBy the end of 19th century, Capitalism in America had developed rapidly. Capital was controlled by some capitalists, which then caused monopoly capital. The society was divided into several classes and the contradiction was very serious among these classes. The labors struggled at the range of death. One of the serious effects of classes division was the collapse in moral. In such a society that money and position ranked the highest, peoples pursuit of both of them was terrifying. They could do whatever evil thing to achieve their goals in order to survive which was no difference from that in primitive society. When the gold rush prevailed, many people joined this wealthy group. In order to get utmost benefits, people would not care about others. The human became more and more selfish and colder. 2. Bucks Sufferings in Human SocietyThe cruelty and coldness of human to the most extent led Bucks decision between human society and the wild. First was the treachery of the Judges gardener who sold Buck. He sold Buck just because he indulged in gambling and needed money. Then came the stout man with a red sweater. He was colder and more brutal. He was good at training dogs and didnt fear any