The gold rush started in 1896 and men were buying dogs to help them find gold. Greed drives people to do stupid, idiotic things. One of the dogs who was bought was Buck, a powerful Saint Bernard, who once lived in a worry-free land, Santa Clara Valley. Buck lived with zero anguish about life and had an endless supply of everything. Then the unexpected happened, Buck was sold to Francois and Perrault because of Manuel’s, the gardener of his previous owners, greed. The rest of the book, Buck endured many hardships and meets many different handlers who ruin his life due to their greedy nature. Human’s greed in The Call of the Wild ultimately cause Buck to answer the call of his primal self because of his time with Manuel and John Thornton’s greed in his inebriated and sober state was immense.
Men’s greed for gold and dogs caused Buck head to the brisk Yukon. For money Manuel, Buck’s owner’s gardener’s helper, dognapped him because had an unhealthy addiction with the Chinese lottery and needed funds. So, he sold Buck behind his owner’s back. The reader can clearly ascertain that Manuel’s greed drove him to do … “Also, in his gambling, he had one besetting weakness- faith in a system; and thus made his damnation certain. To play a system requires money, while the wages of a gardener’s helper do nit lap of the needs of a wife and numerous progeny.” (London 16-17) The quote shows that Manuel had lots of greed, for money, and his job couldn’t sustain his family let alone gambling. So he went to the extreme and sold Buck. The greed that Manuel posses forced him to sell Buck for money to support his addiction to the Chinese lottery.
While in Alaska one can realize that Manuel and John Thornton were very similar because they both used Buck to get profit. Thornton had decided to camp that night in Dawson, where some of Thornton’s acquaintances were and he went to the nearest local tavern and started drinking and betting.
‘Pooh! Pooh!’ Said John Thornton; ‘Buck can start a thousand pounds’ Mathewson said… ‘I’ve got a thousand dollars that says he can’t.’; Nobody spoke. Thornton’s bluff, it bluff it was, has been called. He could feel a flush of warm blood creeping up his face. His tongue had tricked him. He did not know whether Buck could start a thousand pounds. Half a ton!” ( 142-143)
Thornton was clearly intoxicated and wasn’t himself. He heard the opportunity for free money and jumped for it, even though Buck had a broken rib. John Thornton’s greed became more clear while he was intoxicated and used Buck to gain money.
Manuel wanted money, while John Thornton wanted gold. They both had something in common, their selfishness. That greed ultimately killed Thornton. Certainly, it is apparent that Thornton knew of Indian hunting tactics and when winter approached the animals migrated with the Indians following without stopping until they go their food. “Being in no haste, Indian fashion, he hunted his dinner in the course of the day’s travel; and if he failed to find it, like the Indian, he kept on traveling, secure in the knowledge that sooner or later he would come to it.” (152) John Thornton knew that the Indians hunted their food and would not stop until they got them, and would kill anyone in their way. Yet, Thornton wanted the gold, so he stayed even though he knew it was not safe in the valley. Staying in the valley caused Thornton and his allies lives. John Thornton’s greed for gold conclusively killed him and his companions.
All of Buck’s owners had a strong desire for money and power. They would use anyone and anything to succeed, no matter who or what it hurt. Greed caused multiple deaths and heartache for people, Manuel and John Thornton are perfect examples of greed.
