Literary Techniques in Call of the Wild By: Jack London PowerPoint by: Alfred Banuelos and Bryce Hoffman I will be discussing literary techniques to show how they impact the tone/theme/mood of the novel.

Metaphor Page: 25 Line(s): 3,4, and 5 Quote: “He had been suddenly jerked from the heart of civilization and flung into the heart of things primordial.” Commentary: This quote means that Buck is surprised by the sudden change in his surroundings. Buck is surprised and taken off guard by the different laws of his new environment. Buck’s new environment is primitive and dangerous as well as unexplored by the likes of him.

Simile Page: 25 Line(s): 1,2 Quote: “Buck’s first day on Dyea beach was like a nightmare.” Commentary: This quote is comparing Buck’s experience of his first day on Dyea Beach to a nightmare. It is describing his experience as a nightmare implying that is was chaotic, horrendous, and scary.

Repetition Page: 26 Line(s):2, 3, and 4 Quote: “There was an imperative need to be constantly alert, for these dogs and men were not town dogs and men.” Commentary: This changes the flow of the sentence as well as the rhythm. It affects the sentence by emphasizing the difference between the dogs and men Buck is used to, and the dogs and men of the present environment. It also help magnetize the comparison of the different dogs and men.

Alliteration Page: 49 Line(s): 4, 5, and 6 Quote: “…..had eaten a pair of Perrault’s moose-hide moccasins, chunks out of …..” Commentary: This affects the story by describing Perrault’s moccasins. It describes them as made of moose hide and making them sound comfortable and exotic/rare. The alliteration helps the words flow smoothly together and strengthens the rhythm of the book.

Personification Page: 171 Line(s): 3, 4, and 5 Quote: “…the Yeehats tell of a Ghost Dog that runs at the head of the pack.” Commentary: This is personification because the Yeehats describe Buck as something inhuman; a ghost dog. This affects the tone by making the mood eerie. It also makes the tone scary, dark, and mysterious as well as unknown and alien. This also changes the readers mood to almost smug because they know that this “Ghost Dog” is really Buck and the Yeehats, the fearless indians, turned out to be not so fearless after all.

Hyperbole Page: 136 Line(s): 9 and 10 Quote: “His furry coat shone with the sheen of silk.” Commentary: This explanation of Buck’s fur helps to emphasize his ability to complete the task ahead of him. It also is meant to demonstrate his beauty and prowess. Another thing this quote does is it helps create tension by adding to Buck’s good sides to make his nearly impossible task seem very daunting because his power and his task are just about matched.