This is my Action Project for my core class Forbidden Books. In this Action Project, we have each picked a censored book and read it. The book I chose was The Call of the Wild. This was a book that I had read many times before, and I have loved it each time. It was interesting to find out that this book was censored. So, why was The Call of the Wild banned? It was banned in Yugoslavia and Italy for being "too radical" and was burned by the Nazis because of the author's well-known socialist leanings. So...yeah, interesting right? In this podcast, I am interviewing my father and he is representing John Thornton from my book. This book takes place in 1896 Canada.
In this unit, we have studied different religions and beliefs or also known as "dogma" and looked at how it relates to why a book is banned/censored. We studied Christianity and we also went to a mosque to take a closer look at Islamic culture. The podcast is going to be a deeper dive into John's dogma.
Interviewer: Let’s go back to the time of snow and dogs. 1896 Canada. In the U.S. William McKinley defeats William Jennings Bryant in the presidential election, and the electromagnetic radiation machine or X-Ray machine was introduced for the first time. There was also The Klondike Gold Rush which was a big deal at this time. This resulted in an estimated 100,000 prospectors toward the Yukon region(which is the setting of this book). But I’m getting off track. This was a time where people needed dogs for almost everything they did. Whether it was getting around in the snow with sleds, or hunting for food. Then there were the people who would force dogs to fight and bet on which dogs would win. Here we have John Thornton to tell us more about him and where he is from.
Interviewer: Hello John, thank you for coming on the show.
John Thornton: Hey, no problem!
Interviewer: Ok, the first question I have for you is, what is it that made you want to save Buck?
John Thornton: Well I saw him getting abused by Hal and I had to step in and help. I was so angry that he had treated such an amazing animal with such cruelty.
Interviewer: Wow, that’s crazy. My next question is do you ever regret keeping Buck for yourself?
John Thornton: No, never. I loved that dog. He was with me all the time and he never left my side. I would’ve done anything for that dog.
Interviewer: Yeah. You had a special connection with that dog.
John Thornton: Ok, what’s the next question?
Interviewer: oh, ok um, In the book you say, “If you hit the dog again, I’ll kill you“ (147) were you really going to kill Hal if he hit the dog again?
John Thornton: I was! Because of him, that dog was in so much pain. In this world, people don’t care about anyone but themselves.
Interviewer: I agree. And if you didn’t die, would you let Buck go into the wild?
John Thornton: I don’t know. I would let him, but, Buck might not leave unless I told him to.
Interviewer: Buck is very loyal.
John Thornton: Yeah he is.
Interviewer: Have you been in the wild for a long time?
John Thornton: Yeah, I spent my whole life in the wild. That’s how I was able to nurture Buck back to health and that’s how I know how to hunt.
Interviewer: Interesting! What do you wish you had known when you started out in the wild?
John Thornton: I wish I would’ve known how to hunt. I would always scrounge for berries or find food in random places. Until I was taught how to hunt by a friend of mine.
Interviewer: Now, Would you consider yourself an outgoing person?
John Thornton: I don’t think so. I have spent so much time by myself that I don’t really speak to people for fun and the fact that people can do that easily is really strange to me.
Interviewer: Yeah I agree. Now, What is the question people ask you most often?
John Thornton: Hmmm. I think the question I get asked most often would be “why did you save Buck?”
Interviewer: Oh so I already asked that!
John Thornton: Yeah, I don’t know why that question is so important to people. I think it’s because people have good intentions and bad intentions. So I think people are just trying to figure out if I saved Buck for the good of the dog or if I saved him for the good of myself.
Interviewer: I do think that is what people want to know. And just from these few minutes with you, I can tell that you had good intentions.
John Thornton: Thank you.
Interviewer: Yeah. Ok, What do you think is your greatest achievement?
John Thornton: Oh, that’s an easy one. Having buck by my side.
Interviewer: That’s great! Thank you so much for coming on the show. Even though you are dead.
London, Jack. The Call of the Wild. New York: Macmillan, 1963.
Interviewer: Let’s go back to the time of snow and dogs. 1896 Canada. In the U.S. William McKinley defeats William Jennings Bryant in the presidential election, and the electromagnetic radiation machine or X-Ray machine was introduced for the first time. There was also The Klondike Gold Rush which was a big deal at this time. This resulted in an estimated 100,000 prospectors toward the Yukon region(which is the setting of this book). But I’m getting off track. This was a time where people needed dogs for almost everything they did. Whether it was getting around in the snow with sleds, or hunting for food. Then there were the people who would force dogs to fight and bet on which dogs would win. Here we have John Thornton to tell us more about him and where he is from.
Interviewer: Hello John, thank you for coming on the show.
John Thornton: Hey, no problem!
Interviewer: Ok, the first question I have for you is, what is it that made you want to save Buck?
John Thornton: Well I saw him getting abused by Hal and I had to step in and help. I was so angry that he had treated such an amazing animal with such cruelty.
Interviewer: Wow, that’s crazy. My next question is do you ever regret keeping Buck for yourself?
John Thornton: No, never. I loved that dog. He was with me all the time and he never left my side. I would’ve done anything for that dog.
Interviewer: Yeah. You had a special connection with that dog.
John Thornton: Ok, what’s the next question?
Interviewer: oh, ok um, In the book you say, “If you hit the dog again, I’ll kill you“ (147) were you really going to kill Hal if he hit the dog again?
John Thornton: I was! Because of him, that dog was in so much pain. In this world, people don’t care about anyone but themselves.
Interviewer: I agree. And if you didn’t die, would you let Buck go into the wild?
John Thornton: I don’t know. I would let him, but, Buck might not leave unless I told him to.
Interviewer: Buck is very loyal.
John Thornton: Yeah he is.
Interviewer: Have you been in the wild for a long time?
John Thornton: Yeah, I spent my whole life in the wild. That’s how I was able to nurture Buck back to health and that’s how I know how to hunt.
Interviewer: Interesting! What do you wish you had known when you started out in the wild?
John Thornton: I wish I would’ve known how to hunt. I would always scrounge for berries or find food in random places. Until I was taught how to hunt by a friend of mine.
Interviewer: Now, Would you consider yourself an outgoing person?
John Thornton: I don’t think so. I have spent so much time by myself that I don’t really speak to people for fun and the fact that people can do that easily is really strange to me.
Interviewer: Yeah I agree. Now, What is the question people ask you most often?
John Thornton: Hmmm. I think the question I get asked most often would be “why did you save Buck?”
Interviewer: Oh so I already asked that!
John Thornton: Yeah, I don’t know why that question is so important to people. I think it’s because people have good intentions and bad intentions. So I think people are just trying to figure out if I saved Buck for the good of the dog or if I saved him for the good of myself.
Interviewer: I do think that is what people want to know. And just from these few minutes with you, I can tell that you had good intentions.
John Thornton: Thank you.
Interviewer: Yeah. Ok, What do you think is your greatest achievement?
John Thornton: Oh, that’s an easy one. Having buck by my side.
Interviewer: That’s great! Thank you so much for coming on the show. Even though you are dead.
London, Jack. The Call of the Wild. New York: Macmillan, 1963.
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