The sensory details in this excerpt help readers understand that Buck is drawn to the wild side of his nature. The reference to the "shades of all manner of dogs, half-wolves and wild wolves" suggests a connection to his ancestry and instincts, indicating that he is experiencing a pull towards his primal origins.
Read the excerpt from The Call of the Wild.
[Buck] sat by John Thornton’s fire, a broad-breasted dog, white-fanged and long-furred; but behind him were the shades of all manner of dogs, half-wolves and wild wolves, urgent and prompting, tasting the savor of the meat he ate, thirsting for the water he drank, scenting the wind with him, listening with him.
The sensory details in this excerpt help readers understand that Buck is
unhappy about living with Thornton.
dissatisfied with the other dogs.
drawn to the wild side of his nature.
longing for his days of pulling sleds.
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