Chapter 7: The Sounding of the Call Practice Quiz — The Call of the Wild
by Jack London — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter 7: The Sounding of the Call
What does John Thornton do with the sixteen hundred dollars Buck wins for him?
He pays off certain debts and funds an expedition with Pete and Hans into the eastern wilderness to search for a fabled lost gold mine.
What do Thornton and his partners find instead of the Lost Cabin?
They find a shallow placer deposit in a broad valley where gold shows "like yellow butter" across the bottom of the washing pan.
What happens when Buck first encounters the timber wolf in the forest?
The wolf flees, and Buck chases it. After cornering it repeatedly, Buck circles it with friendly advances until they sniff noses and run together through the wilderness.
Why does Buck turn back after running with the wild brother?
They stop to drink at a stream, and Buck remembers John Thornton. He sits down and then starts slowly on the back track, despite the wolf whining and trying to encourage him to continue.
How long does it take Buck to bring down the bull moose?
Four days. Buck patiently cuts the wounded bull from the herd and stalks it relentlessly, never letting it eat, drink, or rest until it finally collapses.
What does Buck find when he returns to camp after the moose hunt?
He finds the camp destroyed by the Yeehats. Nig is dead with arrows, Hans lies face down riddled with arrows, Pete is killed in his blankets, and Thornton's trail ends at a deep pool.
How does Buck respond to the Yeehat attack on the camp?
He attacks with devastating fury, ripping open the chief's throat first, then tearing through their midst so fast they accidentally shoot each other with arrows. He scatters the survivors into the forest.
What happens when the wolf pack enters the clearing at the end of the chapter?
Buck fights them to a standstill, then recognizes his wild brother among them. An old wolf howls at the moon, Buck joins in, and he runs with the pack into the forest.
How does London describe John Thornton's approach to the wilderness?
Thornton asks little of man or nature, is unafraid of the wild, and can survive indefinitely with just salt and a rifle. He hunts Indian fashion and draws his "timecard upon the limitless future."
What is the "wild brother" and what role does it play for Buck?
The wild brother is a lean timber wolf that Buck befriends. It represents Buck's wild identity and acts as a guide to the life awaiting him, appearing both when Buck first hears the call and when he finally joins the pack.
Who are the Yeehats in The Call of the Wild?
A fictional Native American tribe who attack Thornton's camp, killing Thornton, Pete, Hans, and several dogs. They later develop a legend about a "Ghost Dog" that leads the wolf pack.
What does London say about Buck's physical condition at the peak of his powers?
Buck is described as a carnivorous animal "in full flower, at the high tide of his life, over-spilling with vigor and virality," with muscles that snap "like steel springs" and reflexes so fast that perceiving, determining, and responding seem simultaneous.
How does Pete describe Buck in Part II of the chapter?
"When he was made, the mold was broke." Pete says this while watching Buck march out of camp, not knowing of Buck's secret transformation into a wild predator once hidden by the forest.
How does Thornton's death resolve the central conflict of the novel?
Thornton was the last emotional tie binding Buck to civilization. With Thornton dead, "Man and the claims of man no longer bound him," freeing Buck to fully answer the call of the wild.
What do Buck's visions of the short-legged hairy man represent?
They represent ancestral or genetic memory—a primal inheritance connecting Buck to the prehistoric past when early humans and proto-dogs shared a fearful, vigilant existence in the wilderness.
How does the motif of gold and greed function in Chapter 7?
The lost mine that has lured men to their deaths for generations ultimately leads Thornton to his death as well. The gold that humans covet becomes meaningless—at the end, it seeps from rotted moosehide sacks into the ground, reclaimed by nature.
What dual identity does Buck maintain throughout most of Chapter 7?
Buck lives as a loyal, affectionate companion in Thornton's camp while simultaneously becoming a lethal wild predator in the forest—"a thing of the wild, stealing along softly, cat-footed, a passing shadow."
What foreshadowing signals the Yeehat attack before Buck discovers it?
Buck senses "a new stir in the land," feels "a sense of calamity," notices birds have fled and squirrels are hiding, and follows a fresh trail with his neck hair "rippling and bristling."
What does the image of Thornton's body in the muddy pool symbolize?
The pool "effectually hid what it contained"—civilization swallowed by the wilderness. The muddy, discolored water from the sluice boxes (tools of human industry) conceals Thornton, erasing the last trace of the human world from Buck's life.
How does London use parallel structure in the moose hunt and the Yeehat attack?
Both scenes showcase Buck as a supreme predator, but the moose hunt displays patient, calculated cunning over four days while the Yeehat attack is explosive, passionate fury—mirroring Buck's dual nature as both strategic hunter and emotional being.
What literary technique does the Ghost Dog epilogue employ?
It shifts the narrative into myth and legend, using the Yeehats' perspective to elevate Buck from a realistic animal character into a supernatural, almost godlike figure—"the Evil Spirit"—giving the story a timeless, archetypal quality.
What does "pertinacity" mean in the context of Buck's pursuit of the wolf?
Stubborn persistence or determination. London writes that "Buck's pertinacity was rewarded" when the wolf finally realized no harm was intended and sniffed noses with him.
What does "ambuscade" mean in London's description of the patience of the wild?
An ambush or a concealed position from which to attack. London lists "the panther in its ambuscade" alongside the spider in its web and the snake in its coils as examples of nature's tireless patience.
What does "pellmell" mean when the wolf pack attacks Buck?
In a confused, disorderly rush. The whole pack springs forward "pellmell, crowded together, blocked and confused by its eagerness to pull down the prey."
Who says "Never was there such a dog" and in what context?
John Thornton says this while watching Buck march out of camp. Pete responds, "When he was made, the mold was broke," and Hans agrees. None of them see Buck's transformation into a wild predator once he enters the forest.
What is the significance of the line "The last tie was broken"?
It appears after Buck confirms Thornton is dead. The "last tie" is Buck's love for Thornton—the only thing still connecting him to the human world. With it broken, "Man and the claims of man no longer bound him" and he is free to answer the call.
What does the closing poem "Old longings nomadic leap / Chafing at custom's chain" mean?
It encapsulates the novel's theme: ancient, wild instincts ("the ferine strain") awaken from dormancy ("brumal sleep") and strain against the bonds of civilization ("custom's chain"). It frames Buck's journey as universal rather than individual.