The Ending Of Call Of The Wild
The ending of Jack London’s The Call of the Wild is one of the most powerful and symbolic conclusions in American literature. It marks the final stage of Buck’s transformation from a domesticated dog into a creature fully awakened to his ancestral instincts. The novel’s conclusion is both tragic and triumphant: tragic because it involves human violence and loss, and triumphant because Buck ultimately finds freedom, identity, and belonging in the natural world. Understanding the ending requires examining Buck’s emotional evolution, the symbolic role of John Thornton, the pull of the wild, and the meaning behind Buck’s final embrace of his wolf heritage.
By the end of the novel, Buck has already undergone multiple stages of transformation. Stolen from his comfortable California home and forced into the brutal world of the Klondike, he learns the laws of survival—obedience, strength, cunning, and dominance. Yet even as he adapts to the harshness of sled life, Buck retains a sense of loyalty to certain humans. His bond with John Thornton becomes the emotional center of the final chapters. Thornton represents everything Buck has been deprived of: kindness, companionship, and love. Because of this, Buck’s loyalty to him becomes deeper than any loyalty Buck has ever known. This connection delays Buck’s full return to the wild, keeping part of him tied to humanity.
However, even in Thornton’s care, Buck feels the growing “call” of the wilderness. London describes this pull through Buck’s dreams, instincts, and encounters with the world beyond human control. Buck senses a part of himself awakening—a primal identity stronger than any obedience to domestic life. He follows scents, explores forests, hunts independently, and eventually befriends a wild wolf. These experiences show that Buck’s transformation is not a sudden leap, but a gradual reconnection with natural instincts that have been dormant for generations. The wolf symbolizes the life that Buck is destined to join, serving as both a guide and a mirror to the creature he is becoming.
The emotional turning point comes with the death of John Thornton. While Buck is exploring the wilderness, a group of Yeehat hunters attacks the camp and kills Thornton and his companions. When Buck returns, he finds Thornton dead, and the violence ignites a fury unlike anything he has experienced. He avenges Thornton by attacking the Yeehats, acting with a level of savagery and strength that marks his final break from human civilization. This moment is devastating, yet essential to Buck’s transformation. Thornton’s death severs the last tie Buck has to human companionship. It leaves him without obligations, without emotional anchors, and without a reason to remain in the domesticated world.
Buck’s revenge against the Yeehats also symbolizes his acceptance of the wild’s law: survival through strength. He does not kill out of cruelty, but out of instinct and loyalty. Once this final act of loyalty is completed, Buck is free to embrace the identity that has been calling to him throughout the story. The wild, which once represented danger and unpredictability, becomes a place of belonging. The death of Thornton is deeply tragic, but it is also the catalyst that allows Buck to step fully into his destiny.
The final scenes depict Buck becoming a legend among the Yeehats. They speak of a “Ghost Dog” who is larger, stronger, and more cunning than any other creature they have seen. They fear and respect him, believing him to be supernatural. This mythic portrayal shows that Buck has transcended his domestic origins. He is no longer merely a dog, but a creature of the wilderness, a symbol of the raw power and beauty of nature. The legend also reflects the novel’s central theme: the idea that nature holds a deeper, older truth than civilization—one that cannot be erased by comfort or domestication.
Buck’s decision to join the wolf pack represents the fulfillment of his transformation. He becomes a leader among wolves, forming bonds and participating in the rhythms of the natural world. This ending suggests not a loss of self, but a return to an older, more authentic identity. Buck does not abandon everything he learned from humans; rather, he integrates those experiences into his wild life. The qualities he gained—loyalty, intelligence, adaptability—make him a stronger leader. His howl at the end symbolizes his acceptance of his place in the natural order and the completion of his journey from domesticated pet to creature of legend.
The ending of The Call of the Wild is significant because it rejects the idea that a meaningful life must revolve around human companionship or civilization. Instead, London suggests that true fulfillment can be found in embracing one’s instincts, heritage, and inner strength. Buck’s journey reflects the tension between comfort and freedom, between obedience and instinct, between the world of men and the world of nature. By choosing the wild, Buck chooses authenticity.
Ultimately, the ending of The Call of the Wild is both heartbreaking and liberating. The loss of John Thornton marks the end of Buck’s life as a companion animal, but it also opens the path to a deeper, more powerful existence. Buck’s howl echoes through the novel’s final pages as a celebration of identity reclaimed, strength realized, and destiny fulfilled. In answering the call of the wild, Buck does not lose himself—he finds himself.