In this chapter, Buck will be characterized as an animal of great love, loyalty, and devotion; he will become completely devoted to John Thornton, who is, in contrast to Hal and Charles, Buck’s other masters, characterized as being the ideal “master.” Not since Buck’s days with Judge Miller has Buck experienced “love, genuine passionate love.” Even in the Santa Clara Valley, with the Judge’s son, Buck’s relationship had been one of a “working partnership” and a sort of “pompous guardianship,” and even his relationship with the Judge had been a “stately and dignified friendship.” However, London now writes that the love which Buck feels for John Thornton has quickly developed into a feverish and burning admiration. Furthermore, in contrast to the events in the last chapter, where dog and man could not work together at all, here in Chapter 6, we are shown the great heights to which a dog can rise if he is inspired by love and admiration for his master. Certainly at the beginning of this chapter, he is as close to death as is physically possible, and, accordingly, Thornton devotes considerable time and patience while he is nursing Buck back to health.
As this chapter begins, we learn a bit of the history about John Thornton and how he came to be camped next to the river. The previous winter, Thornton had frozen his feet, and his partners had left him behind to recover. During both Buck’s and Thornton’s recoveries, there are two other of Thornton’s dogs, Skeet and Nig, who are very friendly towards Buck, who is surprised; he expected them to show some signs of jealousy. Yet, unlike the other two dogs, Buck does not force Thornton’s attention upon him; Buck is content to lie at a distance, watching Thornton with love and admiration. In fact, for a long time after Thornton rescues Buck, Buck is uncomfortable when Thornton is out of his sight, because Buck remembers how people like Perrault and François, and even the Scotch half-breed—all good masters—had, one day, suddenly disappeared, leaving Buck finally at the mercy of Hal, Charles, and Mercedes.
London, however, does not suddenly make Buck into an all-good, ideal, one-dimensional dog. He says that in spite of the great love which Buck has for John Thornton, Buck still retains a strong sense of the primitive. In other words, Buck’s faithfulness and devotion—qualities associated with a civilized society—are apparent in his conduct toward John Thornton, but Buck still retains his protective instincts for the wild and his mastery of the primitive.
London also reminds us that Buck’s body is scarred, “scored by the teeth of many dogs,” so much so that other dogs would quickly acknowledge his supremacy in a fight. Buck had indeed “learned well the law of club and fang . . . he must master . . . because to show mercy was a weakness. Mercy did not exist in the primordial life . . . kill or be killed, eat or be eaten was the law.” During these times, Buck relishes living with John Thornton, yet there are other, deeper claims to him also. From far deep down in the forest, he often hears wild sounds and calls that are mysteriously thrilling and compelling. He often ponders the nature of these mysterious calls, and he often thinks of running toward them, except for the fact that “the love of John Thornton drew him back to the fire again.” When Thornton’s partners, Hans and Pete, arrive with the long-awaited raft, Buck refuses to acknowledge them, except as friends of Thornton. He feels loyalty only to Thornton.
At this point, London shifts his point of view from Buck to the character of John Thornton, and we discover that during their dual recuperation, Thornton develops a great admiration for Buck. One day, therefore, after Hans and Pete’s arrival, Thornton and his friends are sitting on the edge of a chasm, into which Thornton suddenly orders Buck to jump. Evidently, Thornton does this in order to demonstrate to Hans and Pete that Buck is totally devoted to him. In London’s words, “The next instant he [Thorton] was grappling with Buck on the extreme edge.”
