Review the quotation from Chapter 2, when Buck realizes he can steal food from the other dogs if he is aggressive enough.

Question

“He did not steal for joy of it, but because of the clamor of his stomach.”

How does this quote illustrate the way Buck is adapting to his new environment?

Responses

Buck doesn’t understand that he is taking another dog’s food.
Buck doesn’t understand that he is taking another dog’s food.

Buck realizes how much he likes salmon, and he assumes the others won’t care.
Buck realizes how much he likes salmon, and he assumes the others won’t care.

Buck decides the other dogs don’t need as much food as he does, so he takes their food without guilt.
Buck decides the other dogs don’t need as much food as he does, so he takes their food without guilt.

Buck is willing to do what is necessary to survive, including stealing from his peers.
Buck is willing to do what is necessary to survive, including stealing from his peers.

Answer 1

The quotation “He did not steal for joy of it, but because of the clamor of his stomach” effectively illustrates how Buck is adapting to his new environment by highlighting his instinctual drive for survival. The essence of this adaptation is captured in the following response:

Buck is willing to do what is necessary to survive, including stealing from his peers.

This response emphasizes that Buck is no longer the domesticated pet he once was; he is learning to prioritize survival above all else. The mention of his "clamor of his stomach" indicates a primal urge that overtakes any moral considerations he might have had in his previous life. This moment signifies a critical turning point in his transformation, as he consciously makes the decision to engage in aggressive behavior in order to secure food for himself – a reflection of the harsh realities of the world he now inhabits.