CHAPTER II—THE LAW OF CLUB AND FANG, an excerpt
From Call of the Wild
By Jack London
Another lesson. So that was the way they did it, eh? Buck confidently selected a spot, and with much fuss and waste effort proceeded to dig a hole for himself. In a trice the heat from his body filled the confined space and he was asleep. The day had been long and arduous, and he slept soundly and comfortably, though he growled and barked and wrestled with bad dreams.
Nor did he open his eyes till roused by the noises of the waking camp. At first he did not know where he was. It had snowed during the night and he was completely buried. The snow walls pressed him on every side, and a great surge of fear swept through him—the fear of the wild thing for the trap. It was a token that he was harking back through his own life to the lives of his forebears; for he was a civilized dog, an unduly civilized dog, and of his own experience knew no trap and so could not of himself fear it. The muscles of his whole body contracted spasmodically and instinctively, the hair on his neck and shoulders stood on end, and with a ferocious snarl he bounded straight up into the blinding day, the snow flying about him in a flashing cloud. Ere he landed on his feet, he saw the white camp spread out before him and knew where he was and remembered all that had passed from the time he went for a stroll with Manuel to the hole he had dug for himself the night before.
Which line most clearly shows the conflict in this text?
a) Buck confidently selected a spot, and with much fuss and waste effort proceeded to dig a hole for himself.
b) In a trice the heat from his body filled the confined space and he was asleep.
c) The snow walls pressed him on every side, and a great surge of fear swept through him—the fear of the wild thing for the trap.
d) Nor did he open his eyes till roused by the noises of the waking camp.
c) The snow walls pressed him on every side, and a great surge of fear swept through him—the fear of the wild thing for the trap.
c) The snow walls pressed him on every side, and a great surge of fear swept through him—the fear of the wild thing for the trap.
To find the line that most clearly shows the conflict in this text, we need to understand what the conflict is. In this excerpt from "Call of the Wild" by Jack London, the conflict revolves around Buck, a civilized dog, facing the wild and unfamiliar environment of the snowy wilderness.
Let's examine each option:
a) "Buck confidently selected a spot, and with much fuss and waste effort proceeded to dig a hole for himself." This line shows Buck's initial attempt to settle in and make a comfortable resting place for himself. Although there is some effort involved, it does not directly highlight the conflict.
b) "In a trice the heat from his body filled the confined space and he was asleep." This line describes Buck falling asleep after digging the hole. It does not directly address the conflict either.
c) "The snow walls pressed him on every side, and a great surge of fear swept through him—the fear of the wild thing for the trap." This line portrays the conflict most clearly. Buck is physically trapped by the snow walls, which brings back primal fear in him. It emphasizes the clash between his civilized nature and the wild environment.
d) "Nor did he open his eyes till roused by the noises of the waking camp." This line indicates Buck waking up due to the sounds of the camp. While it shows the transition from his sleep to his awareness, it does not directly address the conflict.
Therefore, the line that most clearly shows the conflict in the text is:
c) "The snow walls pressed him on every side, and a great surge of fear swept through him—the fear of the wild thing for the trap."