The call of the wild

The call of the wild is the pull toward instinct, survival, and nature over civilization in American literature since 1860. Writers use it to show how harsh environments strip away social polish and reveal raw human or animal behavior.

What is the call of the wild?

In American Literature Since 1860, the call of the wild is the idea that a person or animal can feel an instinctive pull away from civilization and toward survival in nature. It is not just about going outdoors. It is about what happens when social rules weaken and older, rougher instincts take over.

This term shows up most clearly in naturalist writing, where characters are shaped by environment, heredity, and pressure rather than by complete free will. A character may want to stay civilized, moral, or polite, but hunger, violence, weather, and competition push them in a different direction. That conflict is what makes the phrase useful in this course.

Jack London is the classic author here. In The Call of the Wild, Buck does not simply take a trip into the wilderness. He is drawn into a world where instinct, adaptation, and force matter more than comfort or training. The “call” is the deep pull toward ancestral behavior, the part of him that responds to the Yukon’s demands.

This is why the phrase connects so closely to Darwinian ideas in literature. After Darwin, many writers began to see behavior as tied to survival and environment, not just choice. The call of the wild reflects that shift because it suggests that beneath culture, there are older drives waiting to surface when conditions get brutal enough.

In class discussions, you may also see the term used more broadly as a theme rather than a literal plot event. A character might hear the call of the wild in a symbolic sense, such as feeling drawn to freedom, violence, self-reliance, or escape from social constraints. In naturalist fiction, that pull is usually not romantic or cleansing. It is harsh, and it often comes with loss.

Why the call of the wild matters in American Literature – 1860 to Present

The call of the wild matters because it gives you a shortcut into some of the biggest ideas in late 19th and early 20th century American literature: naturalism, Darwinian influence, survival, and the limits of human control. When you can spot this theme, you can explain why a text feels bleak, physical, and unsentimental instead of hopeful or idealized.

It also helps you read character change more precisely. In a romantic or sentimental story, change may come from self-discovery or personal growth. In a naturalist text, change often comes from pressure, deprivation, or a brutal environment that reveals what is already inside a character. That distinction matters when you compare authors like Jack London, Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, or Theodore Dreiser.

The phrase also gives you a way to talk about civilization versus the wild without making the discussion too vague. Instead of saying a text is “about nature,” you can explain how nature strips away social identity, exposes instinct, and forces adaptation. That makes your analysis more specific and more grounded in the actual language of the movement.

How the call of the wild connects across the course

Naturalism

The call of the wild is one of the clearest themes in naturalist writing. Naturalism treats people and animals as shaped by environment, heredity, and pressure, so the “wild” is not just scenery. It is a force that exposes how fragile human control can be when survival becomes the main goal.

Jack London

Jack London is the most direct connection because he wrote The Call of the Wild. His fiction often focuses on harsh settings, survival, and the way instinct takes over under extreme conditions. If a passage sounds rugged, forceful, and focused on adaptation, London is a strong author to bring into your analysis.

Pessimism

The call of the wild often carries a pessimistic view of human life. Instead of showing progress, control, or moral triumph, it suggests that people are always close to losing civilization when conditions turn brutal. That mood fits a lot of naturalist writing, where survival is uncertain and hardship can overpower intention.

Realism vs. Naturalism

Realism and naturalism both focus on ordinary life, but the call of the wild usually points more toward naturalism. Realism describes life as it is, while naturalism adds a tougher idea that humans are trapped by forces they cannot fully control. The wild becomes a test case for that difference.

Is the call of the wild on the American Literature – 1860 to Present exam?

A passage analysis question may ask you to identify how a character’s behavior changes under pressure. If the text shows hunger, danger, cold, or violence stripping away social manners, you can connect that moment to the call of the wild and explain the naturalist logic behind it. In a short essay, use the term to show how setting influences identity, not just mood.

You might also get a comparison prompt. If one work presents nature as liberating and another presents it as brutal, the call of the wild helps you name the second view quickly and accurately. When you use the term well, you are not just saying “nature matters.” You are explaining that the text imagines instinct and survival as stronger than culture, comfort, or choice.

The call of the wild vs Primitivism

Primitivism is the idea that earlier or less civilized life is somehow purer, simpler, or more authentic. The call of the wild is different because it usually emphasizes instinct and survival under pressure, not a hopeful return to an idealized state. In naturalist texts, the wild is often dangerous rather than innocent.

Key things to remember about the call of the wild

• The call of the wild is the instinctive pull toward nature, survival, and raw behavior when civilization stops feeling secure.

• In American Literature Since 1860, the term is closely tied to naturalism and Darwinian ideas about environment, heredity, and adaptation.

• Jack London’s The Call of the Wild is the clearest example, but the theme can also appear in other naturalist texts about pressure and survival.

• When you spot this idea, look for characters losing social polish and revealing deeper instincts under stress.

• The term usually carries a harsh, unsentimental tone, so it is more about struggle than peaceful nature scenes.

Frequently asked questions about the call of the wild

What is the call of the wild in American Literature Since 1860?

It is the idea that a person or animal feels a deep instinctive pull toward nature, survival, and primitive behavior. In this course, it usually appears in naturalist texts that show how pressure can push characters beyond civilized habits.

Is the call of the wild the same as primitivism?

Not exactly. Primitivism often idealizes a simpler, earlier, or less civilized way of life. The call of the wild is usually harsher, because it focuses on instinct, danger, and survival rather than on a romantic return to purity.

How does Jack London use the call of the wild?

London uses it to show how a character or animal changes when exposed to a brutal environment. In The Call of the Wild, Buck is shaped by the Yukon’s demands, and the story highlights instinct, adaptation, and the limits of civilization.

How do I write about the call of the wild in a literary analysis?

Point to a moment where setting, danger, or survival pressure changes a character’s behavior. Then explain how that shift reflects naturalism, where environment and instinct matter more than free choice or social rules.