The Call of the Wild, Chapter 5 summary
Chapter 5 of 7 · 22 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 5, Buck and his exhausted teammates pass to Hal, Charles, and Mercedes, whose poor planning, starvation rations, and violence destroy much of the team. John Thornton saves Buck from Hal’s club, and the remaining travelers disappear through river ice after ignoring Thornton’s warning.
What happens
- At Skaguay, the exhausted mail dogs receive little rest before Hal and Charles buy them.
- The new owners overload their sled, disregard advice, and buy six unsuitable dogs.
- Slow travel and wasteful feeding exhaust their supplies; starvation, injuries, and Hal’s violence reduce the team to five.
- At John Thornton’s camp, Hal ignores warnings about weak ice and beats Buck for refusing to rise.
- Thornton stops Hal, disarms him, and cuts Buck free from the harness.
- The others continue onto the river and disappear through collapsing ice while Buck remains beside Thornton.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Thornton turns his anger into direct protection of Buck. His intervention separates Buck from the travelers who continue onto the unsafe ice.
Quick check
Why does Buck refuse to rise at Thornton’s camp?
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