Question

Which sentence best illustrates the theme of the passage? from Chapter 1 in The Call of the Wild by Jack London He was glad for one thing: the rope was off his neck. That had given them an unfair advantage; but now that it was off, he would show them. They would never get another rope around his neck. Upon that he was resolved. For two days and nights he neither ate nor drank, and during those two days and nights of torment, he accumulated a fund of wrath that boded ill for whoever first fell foul of him. His eyes turned blood–shot, and he was metamorphosed into a raging fiend. So changed was he that the Judge himself would not have recognized him; and the express messengers breathed with relief when they bundled him off the train at Seattle. Four men gingerly carried the crate from the wagon into a small, high-walled back yard. A stout man, with a red sweater that sagged generously at the neck, came out and signed the book for the driver. That was the man, Buck divined, the next tormentor, and he hurled himself savagely against the bars. The man smiled grimly, and brought a hatchet and a club. "You ain't going to take him out now?" the driver asked. "Sure," the man replied, driving the hatchet into the crate for a pry. There was an instantaneous scattering of the four men who had carried it in, and from safe perches on top the wall they prepared to watch the performance. Buck rushed at the splintering wood, sinking his teeth into it, surging and wrestling with it. Wherever the hatchet fell on the outside, he was there on the inside, snarling and growling, as furiously anxious to get out as the man in the red sweater was calmly intent on getting him out. "Now, you red–eyed devil," he said, when he had made an opening sufficient for the passage of Buck's body. At the same time he dropped the hatchet and shifted the club to his right hand. And Buck was truly a red–eyed devil, as he drew himself together for the spring, hair bristling, mouth foaming, a mad glitter in his bloo

Answer 1

The sentence "He was glad for one thing: the rope was off his neck. That had given them an unfair advantage; but now that it was off, he would show them. They would never get another rope around his neck. Upon that he was resolved" best illustrates the theme of resilience and determination in the passage.

In this sentence, the protagonist, Buck, experiences relief and determination after having the rope removed from his neck. This symbolizes the removal of a physical and metaphorical restraint placed upon him. Buck is determined to show those who had control over him that they will never have the opportunity to dominate him again. He resolves to resist any further attempts to subdue him.

This theme of resilience and determination is further emphasized by Buck's refusal to eat or drink for two days and nights, his accumulation of wrath, and his transformation into a raging fiend. These actions demonstrate his unwavering determination to assert his strength and independence.

Throughout the passage, Buck's actions and reactions reflect his resilience and unwavering resolve to overcome the challenges he faces. This theme of resilience and determination sets the tone for his journey in the story and establishes his character as one who will not be easily subdued.