“ a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed, though not necessarily conciliated. ”
Jack London, The Call of the Wild (1903). copy citation
| Author | Jack London |
|---|---|
| Source | The Call of the Wild |
| Topic | violence obedience master |
| Date | 1903 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | https://www.gutenberg.org/files/215/215-h/215-h.htm |
Context
“As the days went by, other dogs came, in crates and at the ends of ropes, some docilely, and some raging and roaring as he had come; and, one and all, he watched them pass under the dominion of the man in the red sweater. Again and again, as he looked at each brutal performance, the lesson was driven home to Buck: a man with a club was a lawgiver, a master to be obeyed, though not necessarily conciliated. Of this last Buck was never guilty, though he did see beaten dogs that fawned upon the man, and wagged their tails, and licked his hand. Also he saw one dog, that would neither conciliate nor obey, finally killed in the struggle for mastery.”
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Meaning and analysis
