Adaptation for survival in nature in

Contents
ACCEPTANCE PAGE i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii
ABSTRACT iii
Chapter I: Methodology 7
Chapter II: Literature Review 8
1.Ecocriticism 8
2.Jack London and Earnest Hemingway as naturalists 9
a)Jack London 10
b)Earnest Hemingway 10
Chapter III: The reemergence of primitive instincts 13
1.Buck’s primitive instincts 15
a)Instinctive learning 15
b)Self-defense instinct 18
b)Self-defense instinct 26
3.The unyielding will for survival in nature 28
Chapter IV: The essence of compassion 31
“You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are
still working. But you’ll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no . . .
anything. There’s no chance at all of recovery. You’ll just — exist. As an empty
shell. And your soul is gone forever . . . lost.”
J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 31
1.Thornton’s compassion awakes Buck’s compassion 33
2.The old man’s compassion with nature 37
Conclusion 43
References 46
Introduction
Recognized as one of the latest theories in the history of literary study,
ecocriticism marks the beginning of works and studies concerned with
environmental issues in the late 1980s in America and in the early 1990s in
the United Kingdom. “Simply defined, ecocriticism is the study of the

relationship between literature and the physical environment” (Cheryll
Glotfelty). This literary discipline appears extremely crucial and
meaningful in the context of ecodegradation, climate changes and natural
disasters spreading around the world, which proves an urgent need of
comprehending environmental phenomena. In 1992, with the establishment
of ASLE (the Association for Study of Literature and Environment),
ecocriticism is gradually gaining a firm foothold in modern life. There
exists radical studies on this emergent discipline, namely The Ecocriticism
Reader: Landmarks in Literary Ecology (Cheryll Glotfelty, University of
Georgia Press, 1996), The Green Studies Reader: From Romanticism to
Ecocriticism (Laurence Coupe, Routledge, 2000), Practical Ecocriticism
(Glen A.Love, Charlottesville: University of Verginia Press, 2003),
Literature and Environtment (Lawrence Buell, Ursula K. Heise and Karen
Thornber, Harvard University Press, 2011).
In this literary trend, ecocritical interpretations of classics are well
worth mentioning. In the new literary subdiscipline, Jack London and
Earnest Hemingway, the outstanding authors, contribute invaluable
materials; for one of their major themes is naturalism. Most of their works
draw the inspiration from their long experience in wilderness. Though they
hardly share the similarity in experience as a naturalist, both of them write
prominent novels presenting compliments to nature. London spends years
in the deep of snowy mountains in the Klondike Gold Rush collecting the
materials for his animated story: The Call of the Wild, whilst Hemingway
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enjoys his adventures with hunting, fishing and camping seeing his soul
imbued with the wilderness in The Old Man and the Sea. Ecocriticism
brings a distinct approach to these novellas because it is “reading from an
ecological rather than a narrowly human-centered perspective” (35,
Practical Ecocriticism, Glen A. Love). However, the studies on this are still
limited with just some journals, articles and dissertations. Being in a

formative phase, ecocritical research on these works is absolutely required.
This paper adopts ecocritical approach to The Call of The Wild and
The Old Man and the Sea with the aim of examining nature’s profound
impact on creatures and their diverse reactions to the harsh environment. It
cannot be denied that from antiquity to the present, inhabitants often gather
in a group to create unity strength and safety; however, the main characters
in two novels are separated and isolated from the community. They are not
only thrown deep into the wilderness, but also suffer from insurmountable
situations. Their survival in that circumstance denotes precious lessons on
adaptation.
In the 20th-century literary debate on nature faker controversy, Jack
London’s novellas used to be criticized due to “the human allegory in the
dog’s life-and-death struggle to adapt himself to a hostile environment”
(London). Nonetheless, it is a fact that he is unconscious of that allegory.
Therefore, he stated in self-defense that:
I have been guilty of writing two animal stories—two books about
dogs. The writing of these two stories, on my part, was in truth a protest
against the “humanizing” of animals, of which it seemed to me several
“animal writers” had been profoundly guilty. Time and again, and many
times, in my narratives, I wrote, speaking of my dog heroes: “He did not
think these things; he merely did them,” etc. And I did this repeatedly to
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the clogging of my narrative and in violation of my artistic canons; and I
did it in order to hammer into the average human understanding that these
dog-heroes of mine were not directed by abstract reasoning. Also, I
endeavored to make my stories in line with the facts of evolution; I hewed
them to the mark set by scientific research, and awoke, one day, to find
myself bundled neck and crop into the camp of the nature-faker.
His apology was widely accepted at that time; until now he is regarded
as one of the greatest American naturalistic writers. In The call of the wild

and White Fang, London is remarkably successful at depicting wolves’
lives. The harsh and hostile environment in the Gold Rush has deep
influence on his writing style. Besides, he is also affected by Darwin’s
evolution theory as his artistic purpose stated “I endeavored to make my
stories in line with the facts of evolution; I hewed them to the mark set by
scientific research”. Not only reflecting the society in his time, but London
also points out that life in the wilderness revolves the canon “Survival of
the fittest” (Principles of Biology, Herbert Spencer, 1864). If White Fang
changes from a wild and savage dog into a domesticated one in the end of
the novel, Buck’s modification reverses, which appears far more difficult
and challenging. Nature is enigmatic and different from the civilized world,
where Buck comes from. Without adaptation, he would suffer tragic
consequences, “It marked [Buck’s] adaptability, his capacity to adjust
himself to changing conditions, the lack of which would have meant swift
and terrible death” (19, London).
Like London’s character, the old man in Hemingway’ novella is also
portrayed as the fittest to nature. Hunting is one of human’s instincts from
the ancient period, which Hemingway vividly depicts from his own
experience. The “primitive Cuban fisherman Santiago is analogous to
Darwin’s scientist-as-savage, or Wilson’s field biologist as cloud forest
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Papuan tribesman. With knowledge derived from Hemingway’s year of
fishing the Gulf Stream and collecting specimens of marlin and tuna for the
Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia” (A Historical Guide to
Ernest Hemingway, edited by Linda Wagner-Martin, Oxford University
Press). The old man and the sea has a special resonance on readers partly
because of its ecocritical readings. The environment in The old man and the
sea is less hostile than that in The call of the wild; nevertheless, it also
includes the gravities of extreme danger, for instance, the fight between the
old man and the Mako shark “could easily result[s] in the destruction of

Santiago’s skiff and his death from injury or drowning” (A guide to the
Marine Life in Earnest Hemingway’s The old man and the sea, Susan
Beegel), and the old man finally has to use “his pain” to know that “he [is]
not dead” (Hemingway). Hemingway’s natural sentiment is attributed to
early experiences in the woods and lakes of Northern Michigan hunting,
fishing, camping with his father. These habits remain throughout his life,
which contributes to his nature epiphany. It makes The old man and the sea
“the best [he] can write ever for all of [his] life” (Hemingway).
In the wilderness, both the old man and Buck are well adaptive. Under
the influence of the environment, it can be seen that their primitive instinct
restores. As Carl Jung, a Swiss prominent psychiatrist, said, “anyone who
overlooks the instincts will be ambuscaded by them”, the rehabilitation of
natural instincts appears a key factor to maintain the wild life, which will
be thoroughly examined in this thesis. More importantly, through
ecocritical reading to the novellas, this paper also aims at revealing the
essence of compassion in nature. Even Hemingway, who is fond of fishing
and hunting from the childhood, “takes greater pleasure in merely watching
the wildlife” than in killing (XIV, Under Kilimanjaro, editors Robert W.
Lewis and Robert E. Fleming). His affectionate passion for nature leads to
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the old man’s sympathy with the marine animals, which he calls “friends”,
“brother” and feels hard to kill them “He [begins] to feel pity the great fish
he [has] hooked” (Hemingway 17). This feeling denotes layers of meaning,
especially when the old man “look[s] across the sea and [knows] how alone
he [is]” (22, Hemingway). In The call of the wild, rarely is the compassion
revealed. “Into the primitive” (5, London), there is nothing but “savagery,
and cunning” (29, London). The warm affection is nearly exhausted in the
harshness of both nature and human beings: “a hostile environment where
only the strong survive[s]” (88, London). Nonetheless, the author expresses
more than that to put the audience in deep contemplation of the compassion

value. The appearance of John Thornton, Buck finally finds the light at the
end of the tunnel. With the sympathy, Thornton decides to rescue Buck
from the jaws of death, which leads to only chapter VI of love and
reinforces the works’ humanitarian. Both novellas place particular
emphasis on the significance of the affection for nature, which is about to
examine in this paper as an ecocritical approach.
Ecocriticism absolutely captures international attention due to the fact
that the matters it solve can suggest solutions to the one of the burning and
aching issue of environmental collapse. Falling in line with this tendency,
The Call of the Wild by London and The Old Man and the Sea by
Hemingway deserve further ecocritical studies to raise people awareness on
nature protection.
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Chapter I: Methodology
This paper applies secondary research as the main methodology to The
Call of the Wild by Jack London and The Old Man and the Sea by Earnest
Hemingway with an aim of discussing the theme Adaptation for Survival in
Nature. The secondary sources, such as researchers’ books, articles and
journals will be put into consideration. Internet connection is about to be
the main access to these sources. It is necessary to search for reliable
sources, which are university websites, and international well- known
organizations’ websites, such as The University of Michigan Library
online, JSTOR.org or muse.jhu.edu. In addition, bookstores can also be a
useful supply of research materials. Reading through and analyzing these
sources provide a solid background to do the literary thesis. The essential
quotations or meaningful ideas related to the theme of the thesis are stored
in a file on the computer, which is put following the outline’s order.
Because I choose two novels to analyze, I will put the quotes in an order to
make some comparisons.
Unlike other studies, literary research employs works as the major

source, which are The Call of the Wild by Jack London and The Old Man
and the Sea by Earnest Hemingway in this paper. The methodology for this
research appears simpler, but the effort given is equal to other papers.
Time management would be a problem as collecting and examining the
materials require a large amount of time; thus, sticking to the schedule and
meeting the progress reports are of strategic necessity. I hope that with this
methodology, my paper meet will live up to the readers’ expectation.
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Chapter II: Literature Review
1. Ecocriticism.
Research on nature is driven by an overriding need for addressing
environmental issues, such as pollution, natural disaster or green house
effect. In literature, there exists a new theory concentrating on nature –
centered perspective, which is known as ecocriticism, or naturalism. The
first person to use the term ecocriticism may have been William Rueckert .
In 1978, he published an essay titled Literature and Ecology: An
Experiment in Ecocriticism. His intent was to focus on “the application of
ecology and ecological concepts to the study of literature”. However, at
that time, there was no organization or movement to study the
environmental side of literature, which leads to the crucial works in this
discipline were scattered or categorized under other theories. Until the late
1990s, with the establishment of ASLE (the Association for Study of
Literature and Environment), scholars started to work to contribute to
ecocriticism as a new literary genre. Cheryll Glotfelty, the founder of this
organization, defines this literary discipline as the research into
“relationship between literature and the physical environment”. In other
words, the ecocriticism concerns nature and its effects in works. Needless
to say, this literary movement has been increasingly spreading to all
corners of the world along with the appearance of ASLE new branches in
the UK, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand (ASLEC-ANZ), India

(OSLE-India), Taiwan, Canada and Europe.
Researchers find naturalism a new land to explore as the interaction
between creatures and the environment are often ignored leaving the space
for human – centered perspective issues. When the earth becomes
endangered because of environmental corruption and natural deterioration,
ecocriticism may provide solutions to overcome adversity. An approach to
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classics under this theory will be a long way to go. Besides, at the time the
ecocriticism is brought to the world, it emerges as one of the latest theories
concerning natural issues. That is the reason why there still lacks of
research and works unearthing the depth of this literary discipline. All the
studies, from raising the definition to bridging the theory with other related
ones, are just the initial steps taken in order to deal with the most
fundamental facets, namely The Ecocriticism Reader: Landmarks in
Literary Ecology (Cheryll Glotfelty, University of Georgia Press, 1996),
The Green Studies Reader: From Romanticism to Ecocriticism (Laurence
Coupe, Psychology Press, 2000), Practical Ecocriticism (Glen A.Love,
Charlottesville: University of Verginia Press, 2003), Literature and
Environtment (Lawrence Buell, Ursula K. Heise and Karen Thornber,
Harvard University Press, 2011).
The ecocritical interpretation of classics is also in times of scarcity, for
the environmental issues tend to be sunk under more familiar and historic
topics like society problems, human limitations or the reflection of the
authors and his era in the works. Ecocritical reading provides an ecology
approach to literature, which requires the researchers to reread major
classics “from an ecocentric perspective” and “emphasize ecocentric values
of meticulous observation” (Barry, Beginning Theory). Unlike the other
literary disciplines, naturalism does not give the priority to human, but
paying attention to studies in nature-centered perspective. This remarkably
bursts the novels with tremendous vitality.

2. Jack London and Earnest Hemingway as naturalists.
Known for possessing the affinity with the nature, both Jack London
and Earnest Hemingway employ nature as the major material to portray
characters and deliver messages. The harsh and colossal wilderness in the
Klondike and Bimini inspires these prominent authors to build up the
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influential novellas, The Call of the Wild and The Old Man and the Sea.
Readers of these works are impressed not only by the plot and characters,
but also the vivid nature and its radical effects.
a) Jack London.
Jack London was born in January 12, 1876. He is a prominent
American writer and also an influential social activist, whose heart is full of
compassion. This author pays attention to the nature as much as to human
beings, for his most famous novellas concern the wilderness: The Call of
the Wild, White Fang and The Sea – Wolf. It can be said that London uses
nature as a tool to depict human’s world; however, the overwhelming
wilderness ultimately implies nature – centered messages.
The American Gold Rush in 1980s marks the appearance of a prolific
author, Jack London, who pays meticulous attention to the environment
changes under the humans’ impacts. Humanizing animals become an
effective way for London to depict the animals’ inner world and explore
the wilderness. Thus, ecocritical reading considers this masterpiece a
relevant and invaluable to do studies on. Nevertheless, the number of
writing employing this approach is pretty low with some journals, namely
Psychoanalyzing the Narrative Logics of Naturalism by Donald E. Pease,
2002 or Humanizing Animal as a Reflection of Naturalism in Ack London’s
Novel The Call of the Wild by Satrio Suryo Negoro, 2013. These papers
mainly concentrate on the art of the works, from which take an approach to
the content of nature, but they have not mentioned the creatures’ adaptation
for survival. It is a fact that this metamorphosis plays an essential part in

Buck’s life as the author clearly perceives the hostile and savage
environment in the Gold Rush.
b) Earnest Hemingway.
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Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) is an American author and
journalist, who experiences World War II. His great works are
masterpieces of love, peace and also nature. As a child, his father often
takes him to go fishing, hunting and camping in Northern Michigan’s
forests and lakes. These early experiences largely contribute to his passion
for journeys into the wilderness afterwards.
On the cruise in Bimini, not only Hemingway’s fishing techniques is
honed to perfection, but the ocean also permeated into his soul. His
experience vividly lingers in his writing about the old man in the Gulf
Stream. A number of studies under ecocritical reading are conducted with
an aim of interpreting the work in the nature-centered perspective, in which
“Out Too Far”: Half-Fish, Beaten Men, and the Tenor of Masculine Race
in The Old Man and the Sea by Gregory Stephen and Janice Cools appears
the most popular. Conveying two major aspects of ecocriticism in the
novella: “feminizing the sea” and “interspecies kinship-brotherhood
between man and animals, as well as with nature” (77), this paper manages
to depict the harmony between human and nature. However, it seems to
lessen the abrupt peril the fisherman has to bear at sea where danger and
destruction is an imperative part. Besides, the old man’s primal hunting
instinct, which used to maintain human’s existence in ancient time, should
be mentioned because without it, beings’ limitation would soon drown
them into the vastness of the ocean.
Written in the turbulent period of the American history, these classics
reflect insuperable limitations which creatures can exceed, contributing
priceless lessons on adaptation metamorphoses. If Buck responses to the
wilder’s call and returns to his ancestor’s life as a wolf, the old man

develops an interaction and communication with the maritime creatures to
consider them his family. They ultimately become a part of the
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environment. Nature is chosen as a major and effective background for the
characters’ journeys; hence, ecocriticism can be applied to these works as a
strategy of emphasis and comparison in this thesis. Creature’s life in the
harshness of the wild is about to be revealed under the ecocritical reading
throughout this paper.
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Chapter III: The reemergence of primitive instincts.
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive
but those who can best manage change” (Charles Darwin)
This solid theory of evolution adopts a new approach to the survival in
nature. Whilst man always nurtures the hope of becoming the mightiest or
the cleverest, he has no idea that it is the most adaptive who stand firm to
the end. In the embrace of the Earth’s environment, most creatures have a
tendency to fit to the surroundings. Their adjustments are executed towards
a harmonization with nature, for an individual’s existence in the world is
nothing more than a grain of sand in a colossal desert. Without adaptation,
it can be eroded, crushed and finally disappeared because of the natural
harshness. Some may manage to change whereas others fail into ruin.
The adaptive metamorphoses are absolutely disparate and complicated
not only among species but also between members of a same group. In the
survival struggle, some fight hard and continuously like White Fang in the
same name novel by London whereas others shut themselves out of the
world like the town Macondo in One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel
Garcia Marquez. Some even choose to make friends with the enemy like
Pi’s open arms with the aggressive Bengal tiger in The Life of Pi by Yann
Martel. It can be seen that the environment in these works is about to
destroy the creatures. Fighting against it is pointless because of its total

blockade; hence the only way to exist is to change to fit to it.
Despite of the striking distinctness, these metamorphoses still
converge at certain similarities. The responses of the fittest ultimately
derive from the primal instinct as Haruki Murakami, a prominent Japanese
author, states that “you can have tons of talent, but it won't necessarily keep
you fed. If you have sharp instincts, through, you'll never go hungry”. Once
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again, the focus is placed towards the adaptation by laying great emphasis
on the instincts, one of the essential parts of our ancestors’ existence in the
primitive period. Herbert A. Miller, an American biologist, defines instinct
as “a product of the evolutionary process which persists in both biological
and psychological organization of the individual. It originated through the
selection of spontaneous reactions which enabled the individual to survive”
(Group as an Instinct). Apparently, this characteristic proves a
development in creatures’ effort to bend into the wilderness. Although it
runs a high risk of disappearance in the civilized society, it is an
indispensable ingredient for the life in nature.
In this thesis, The Call of the Wild by London and The Old Man and
the Sea by Hemingway are taken as striking instances due to their
reflection of Stephen Hawking sayings “i ntelligence is the ability to adapt
to change”. The restoration of primal instincts in these novellas plays an
important role in tackling insuperable situations. Not until the sled dog and
the fisherman travel into the depth of the nature, have these qualities been
recovered and sharpened. More than the maintenance at sea, hunting
instinct provides the old man with an affinity with the wild creatures and a
tenacious grip on chasing the prey. His aptitude finally contribute to a well-
deserved reward when he catches the giant fish, which “never [has he] seen
a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or more noble thing than [it]” (35
Hemingway). Like the old fisherman, Buck’s instinct is exceptionally
powerful as it is inherited from his forefather. It is nearly lost for a long

time whilst he lives in the civilized world; however, it irresistibly returns
through his trip in the depth of the wilderness. The primitive instinct
running in his veins drives him, a leader of the sled, and gives an impulse
to his response to the call of his same species. Obviously, a good set of
instincts is a decisive factor for the survival in nature.
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1. Buck’s primitive instincts.
a) Instinctive learning.
Never before has this dog experienced the wretched life “under the
toil, the frost and starvation” (29) like a hell on earth. Nonetheless,
environment would never be a hazard if Buck continued his carefree life
“in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley”. He is not only a domestic dog, but
also a “pampered” one, “he [is] king, king over all creeping,
crawling, flying things of Judge Miller's place… good living and
universal respect [enable] him to carry himself in right royal fashion” (4).
He has no idea about the fierce competition for existence, nor even the
smell of the wilderness. However, his peaceful life is dramatically changed
after the burgeoning Gold Rush in North America. Being kidnapped and
brought to the land of gold diggers, Buck gradually perceives how tragic
his life turns out. From that moment, he encounters only “evil-looking
creatures, ragged and unkempt” (8) and also the “savages… who [know] no
law but the law of club and fang” (13, London). His first lesson about
“[learning his] place” as a goods for purchase (10) is made under brutal
tortures, “after a particularly fierce blow, he crawl[s] to his feet, too dazed
to rush. He stagger[s] limply about, the blood flowing from nose
and mouth and ears, his beautiful coat spray[s] and fleck[s] with
bloody slaver” (9). London’s vivid depiction pushes the audience in the
grip of complete obsession with a Medieval –like barbarous treatment,
which marks the beginning of Buck’s life in the brutality of Klondike. His
surroundings now stand in stark contrast to those in the past, for “he [has]

been suddenly jerked from the heart of civilization and flung into the heart
of things primordial” (13). Even the insiders find it hard to overcome the
harshness of this environment, so an outsider may inevitable fall into ruin.
15
Confrontation with the appalling and calamitous changes, most
creatures tend to abandon themselves to despair and soon meet their end.
Nevertheless, Buck makes his own modification owing to his instinctive
learning. His reactions to the environment automatically result from his
careful observations. Due to the recognition over “the law of club and
fang”, he becomes “too wise to rebel” when “Francois fasten[s] upon him
an arrangement of straps and buckles” (London 15). Right after this new
sled dog realizes his duty, he presents conformity to his masters, which
emerges a clever attitude once he wants to continue his survival as a part of
the Gold Rush. Besides, under the guidance of Dave and Sol-leks, Buck
grasps how to run in the traces so quickly that in no time “he [masters] his
work, his mates about [cease] nagging him. Francois’s whip [snaps] less
frequently” (18). Thus, Buck gains a foothold in the sled pack and since
then, he leads an arduous life full of hardship and toil.
More seriously, not in a single moment does “the hostile Northland
environment” (20) leaves the creatures alone. The freezing weather there
appears a deadly enemy, which captures Buck even at night when he tries
to sleep after a long and exhausted day. “A chill wind [is] blowing that
[nips] him sharply and bit with especial venom into his wounded shoulder.
He [lies] down on the snow and [attempts] to sleep, but the frost soon
[drives] him shivering to his feet” (16). The extreme cold absolutely
drowns Buck into “miserable and disconsolate” feelings (16). However, in
an ultimate attempt, his instinct to learn brings him back to his team-mates,
for at the beginning of the primitive life, his steps are taken following them.
They have profound impacts on Buck’s modification to survive, especially
when he is desperately wandering in the trap of the bitter cold. Buck

unearths a vital lesson from Billee, another sled dog in the team, to dig a
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hole on the ground to sleep. Once more, the instinctive learning saves him
from the jaws of death.
Lethal as the icy coldness in the Gold Rush, the “chronic famine” (50)
causes sled dogs a bitter groan of anguish. The fact is that getting
accustomed to the food here is of great difficulty because Buck used to be
raised as a cosset pet in Judge Miller’s estate. Barely is he put on such a
meager ration with only “the pound and a half of sun- dried salmon” for
toil days of succession. Consequently, the poor sled dog is tortured by a
perpetual hunger. Whereas the other dogs “[weighs] less and [are] born to
the life” (19), hence manage to live on the diet; Buck is nothing more than
“an Outside dog” (52), which runs a high risk of “[starving] to death on the
ration of the husky” (52). Fortunately, maintaining the strategy of
observing and learning lifts Buck out of the dire peril. He ascertains that he
must “[eats] as fast as [the other dogs]” (19) to have his ration in full and
sneakily steals away the master’s food to alleviate his extreme hunger.
Known as the most vital physical requirements for survival, eating allows
the body to function properly; thus, without Buck’s instinctual perception,
the starving perpetuation would assuredly put an end to his existence:
“[The first theft marks] his adaptability, his capacity to adjust himself to
changing conditions, the lack of which would have meant swift and terrible
death” (19). This dog’s adjustment in eating habit conveys his approach
toward the wildlife.
Along with his learning is the abandonment of civilized good nature,
which is the only choice in the savage world. Mary Austin, an American
nature writer, exclaims that “death by starvation is slow”, for it often
encompasses a wide range of corruptions in the soul and mind before
taking away the last breath. As a result, Buck witnesses “the decay or going
to pieces of his moral nature” and increasingly grows “a vain thing and a

17
handicap in the ruthless struggle for existence” (20). The hostile and brutal
Klondike emanates a real beast, which imposes jungle rules on others.
However, the deterioration cannot be blamed for this sled dog as even "a
hungry man can't see right or wrong. He just sees food" (Pearl S. Buck).
This natural reaction is unequivocally a survival tendency derived from the
ancient time. For that, Buck gives up the noble habits “[characterizing] his
old life” and embrace the wild alternatives as the development.
“His muscles [become] hard as iron, and he [grows] callous to
all ordinary pain … He could eat anything, no matter how loathsome
or indigestible … his blood [carries] it to the farthest reaches of his
body, building it into the toughest and stoutest of tissues. Sight and
scent [become] remarkably keen, while his hearing [develops] such
acuteness that in his sleep he [hears] the faintest sound and [knows]
whether it [heralds] peace or peril” (20)
The instinctive learning encourages the primal attitude reemergence in
the sled dog. All his physical and mental adjustments from muscles to
eating habits, especially the acute senses, belong to a wild animal. His
connection with the Northland environment is narrowed to the minimum as
he can feel even the minor moves of the nature there. The wild permeates
every part in his body and the knowledge he learns drives him to perfectly
fit to the surroundings. Nevertheless, it will be catastrophic if this dog
relies on this instinct only as learning process often takes time whilst an
instant of negligence in the wilderness forthwith results in the rival’s “teeth
[sinking] into [Buck’s] own throat” (25). Therefore, it is impossible to wait
until mastering a skill to tackle situations. Other instinct must be sharpened
as a weapon against abrupt dangers.
b) Self-defense instinct.
18
Supposing that Buck’s survival revolves around the atavistic instincts,

the self-defense aptitude, one of the creatures’ basic instincts, will be of
great essence, because in which the body responses in peril are produced.
When reinforced in Buck, it comes closer to the primeval mode. On the trip
into the primitive Klondike, never before has this instinct recovered in him
so sufficiently that it turns out an ultimate power. Working as a sled dog,
self-defense instinct first emerges from Buck’s “[bristling] his neck-hair
and [snarling]” so that the other savage dogs let him alone. This reaction
deems crucial to avoid fierce and cruel battles, which can lead to grievous
consequences, including the “end only in the death of one or the other”
(24). In an attempt to escape from the environmental threats, Buck lets “the
primordial beast” (23) inside grows rapidly, leading to his “matching the
husky in strength, savagery and cunning” (28). His own fangs, paws and
claws become mighty in self-defense. This instinct is gradually honed to
perfection, which is of strategic necessity, especially when fighting appears
the best way to protect oneself. Confrontation with enemy, self-protection
drives this sled dog into “a red-eyed devil, hair bristling, mouth foaming, a
mad glitter in his blood-shot eyes” (9). This depiction cannot belong to a
civilized world, but a world of heartless and vicious creatures. The breathe
of wilderness seizes his heart.
Being attacked by Spitz scores of times, the self-defense instinct urges
Buck’s contending for power. There exists a saying that “the striving for
power serves in the first place as a protection against helplessness, which
… is one of the basic elements of anxiety” (Karen Horney, 1937, p141).
The dog in London’s novella is not in that mood, but as Sol-leks attacks
any dogs approaching his blind side, Buck strives for the feeling of safety.
In the fight against Spitz, Buck stands the merest chance to win as “Spitz
[is] untouched, while Buck [is] streaming with blood and panting hard”
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(34). Nonetheless, the situation reverses owing to his brain, which
remarkably consolidates his self-defense aptitude. When “the whole circle

of sixty dogs started up” (34), it coerces him into regaining after “[going]
over” (34) for fear that he will be brutally killed once he falls down. In the
fragile moment when Buck is nearly defeated, his imagination turns out a
sharp self-defense weapon, for it is the “quality that [makes] for the
greatness” (34) as Conrad states in his novel, “in the face of a danger … it
[is] not my strength that wanted nursing, it [is] my imagination that wanted
soothing” (13, Heart of Darkness and the Secret Sharer, Joseph Conrad).
Buck annihilates his rival Spitz thanks to his vital endowment and sice then
he takes over the leadership of the pack, which means the right to “[give]
the law and [make] his mates live up to it”. Hitherto instead of dodging or
trembling in the face of savage rivals in a wicked world of wilderness,
Buck is “brought to mastery” (40) and “when he [bristles] and [shows] his
teeth”, the other fierce dogs get out of his way. Dire threats from the lead
dog’s law of life and death is removed; therefore, to some degree, the life
in the sled pack becomes easier, giving priority to further adaptation
against other harmfulness of the harsh environment.
In the final analysis, derived from the atavism, Buck’s instincts
possess an overwhelming power, which is reinforced with acceleration in
the hostile environment and finally makes him the fittest in nature. He
grasps all the physical and mental changes to adapt to the new life. Like a
noted saying “the process of learning itself is often controlled by instinct”
(Gould, James L. and Peter Marler), Buck is gradually dominated by his
natural characteristics. These instincts evoke nebulous memories:
“The domesticated generations [fall] from him. In vague ways
he [remembers] back to the youth of the breed, to the time the wild
dogs [range] in packs through the primeval forest and [kills] their
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meat as they [run] it down … And when, on the still cold nights, he
[points] his nose at a star and [howls] long and wolflike, it [is] his
ancestors, dead and dust, pointing nose at star and howling down

through the centuries and through him.” (London 21)
These recollections take firm place in Buck through the primordial
trail to Dawson, Barracks, and Yukon, for he finds reassurance and
satisfaction practicing them. The growth of the primitive instincts gradually
builds bridges between the sled dog and the primordial world. Not only the
survival instinct reemerges, but the howl of wolves also revives, which
appears a sign of pure nature. It urges Buck to response to the sounding
deep in the forest. The call of the nature produces an echo in Buck in an
effort to drive him back to the wild life. As a result, he embraces the wild
instincts until they are restored the status quo. Thereupon, his ambition to
return to the nature burst into an inner flame, “irresistible impulses [seize]
him” (80). The primordial instincts ultimately lead him to his ancestor’s
manners. His learning process is fully completed every time he plunges
into the vast of the forest, leaving behind all traces of a civilized world. His
life no longer belongs to any master, for Buck enjoys freedom in his own
wild territory. This self-reliance marks the accomplishment of the
adaptation process. At the end of the novel, Buck’s response to “the call”
(London) makes him a part of the nature, “a great, gloriously coated wolf”
(92). Leading the life of his forefather, he masters the significant rules of
survival and turns out the fittest to the frozen Northland, “running at the
head of the pack through the pale moonlight or glimmering borealis,
leaping gigantic above his fellows, his great throat a-bellow as he sings a
song of the younger world” (92). To recapitulate briefly, throughout the
novella, the restoration of primitive instincts has great significance for
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existence, which researchers have been examined for ages to unearth the
nexus between the environment and the creatures’ living.
2. The old man’s primal hunting instincts.
The old man employs the hunting instincts not only for the adaptation
at sea, but also for his greatest kill in his life. Recognized as one of the

most basic instincts of primeval inhabitants, hunting used to play an
imperative part of human existence. Hitherto some people still survive on
it, which reemerges the ancestor’s primitive instincts every time they are in
face of adversity. Along this line, in The Old Man and the Sea, the main
character is tied to this atavistic quality for survival. The fisherman is
depicted as an experienced hunter living on fishing in the Gulf Stream. He
fishes without the help of modern equipment, but obsolete and shabby
ones: a skiff with “the sail [is] patched with flour sacks and, furled” (1),
“the rolls of the line in the basket and the harpoon and gaff” (9). Needless
to say, his ocean fishing badly requires hunting skills, which are honed so
sharply that it becomes one of his instincts.
In fact, human life at sea inherently contains gravity of abrupt
dangers; hence, a chase after the marlin “two feet longer than the skiff” (23,
Hemingway) is nothing more than a gamble with death. Besides, this is the
first time the old man catches so colossal a fish just alone, “he [has] seen
many that [weighs] more than a thousand pounds and he [has] caught two
of that size in his life, but never alone” (23). Now being towed by the giant
fish, far away from the land alone, this can be a nightmare with anyone
who is afraid of the unknown and unexplained. More seriously, the
fisherman in the novel is at the old age and his strength deteriorates in the
trip due to the injuries. Along with the right hand bleeding and the cramped
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left hand, the lethal tiredness torments him numerous times during the
challenging trip:
“He [is] too tired even to examine the line and he teeter[s] on it
as his delicate feet gripped it fast” (20)
“Sometimes he would be so tired that he could not remember
the prayer and then he would say them fast so that they would come
automatically” (24)
“[He is] tireder than [he has] ever been” (31)

The tiredness can break even the will of iron; however, it cannot
defeat the experienced fisherman as he masters the adaptation
metamorphosis at sea. Although the old man nearly loses the mental
acuteness and physical strength after toil days towed by the giant fish, all
left is the hunting instinct which grows exponentially as a replacement for
the impairment.
a) Affinity with nature.
Fishing at sea in the entire life allows the old man to expose to this
environment. Thus, he has a deep affinity with nature. The sea imbues his
soul. Like a creature coming out of the ocean, his eyes are “the same color
as the sea” (Hemingway 1). That wild and inherent beauty implies an
adaptive life in nature. The old man’s long for a pristine environment
results in his dream full of natural images, “he only [dreams] of places now
and of the lions on the beach” (8). An intimate connection with the ocean
exponentially grows through his fishing trip at sea, which stimulates the
primal instincts. Like any wild animal, the old man possesses an ability to
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feel the winds, analyze the currents and observe the sea creatures with the
aim of navigating the fish position and predicting the weather:
“As he look[s] down into [the sea] he [sees] the red sifting of
the plankton in the dark water and the strange light the sun [makes]
now… he [is] happy to see so much plankton because it [means]
fish. The strange light the sun [makes] in the water, now that the sun
[is] higher, [means] good weather” (12).
Owing to his knowledge about the nature, he also can tell exactly
when the bad weather will come. This acute sense to the natural
movements having been lost in humans for ages hitherto is restored in need
of survival at sea. Obviously, it substantially heightens his adaptation
ability whilst he is entirely isolated from the community, “out of sight of
land in a small boat and … in the months of sudden bad weather” (22).

On the other hand, it is a fact that an alone journey on the ocean
requires not only the perception about the natural phenomena, but also the
ability to feel the fauna in water. This sensation turns out to be of necessity,
for it will become a lodestar when the body is exhausted travelling in the
boundless nature, chasing the prey:
“Hunters must understand and know the world they are entering
but, more importantly, they must feel, sense and respond to it”.
(Sensing Nature: Encountering the World in
Hunting, Garry Marvin)
In The Old Man and the Sea, the skilled fisherman takes full use of
his affinity to pursue the quarry. In the very first moment of catching the
marlin, through a very thin line can he feel the fish, “he [feels] something
hard and unbelievably heavy … he [feels] him stop moving but the weight
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[is] still there. Then the weight [increases] and he [gives] more line” (15).
The huge weight of the marlin is captured in his perception though it is in
the depth of the sea. The hunting instinct sharpens these feelings. The old
man can sense even the condition of the fish underneath the dark sea to
“[realize] that the fish [is] not tiring” after a day towing the skiff. It is a fact
that not everyone owns this kind of exquisite senses, except those who
spends the whole life feeling the ocean. The old man is one of them, who
completely immersed in the nature scores of times as a fisherman. The
narrator manages to “discover a harmony between human and natural
affair” (Hemingway’s extended vision: The Old Man and the Sea, Bickford
Sylvester) because his character can feel the fish, and it seems vice versa.
Instead of swimming down and possibly damaging the skiff, the marlin
tows the old man travelling away from the land and jump high to show how
magnificent his beauty is. Supposed that the story was in the marlin’s eyes,
it would include this kind of communication. The tight link between the old
man and the nature attributes to his actions taken follow the consciousness:

“Just then the fish [gives] a sudden lurch that [pulls] the old
man down onto the bow and [would pulled] him overboard if he
[didn’t brace] himself and [give] some line … “Something hurt him
then,” he [says] aloud and [pulls] back on the line to see if he [can]
turn the fish” (20)
Before the marlin’s appearance, all the old man’s adjustments to its
changes are intuitive, for unlike other hunters, he cannot observe his
quarry. Apparently, alone at sea with a giant prey, the best strategy is to
“trust instinct to the end, though you can render no reason” (Ralph Waldo
Emerson). In this case, the experienced man nurtures his affinity as an
imperative part of his fishing technique, so reliance on this quality has a
sound reason. Besides, his connection with the sea grows so intimately that
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