Chapter 5; The Toil of Trace and Trail
Discussion Questions:
1.) Reread London'd first description of Hal and Charles. What do you think will happen to them based on this initial description?
What I think will happen is that they are not very experienced so they will not do good when they are sledding.
2.) What was Mercedes' reaction when experienced men went though to lighten the load? What does this say about her and about her relationship with her husband and brother?
Her reaction was that she was acting like a princess and she through a tantrum and she was selfish.
3.) Compare Charles, Hal and Mercedes to any other characters you've met in other books, movies, plays, television shows, or real life. What traits did Buck have that allowed him to adapt to the north that they lacked?
Home Alone would be a good movie because Marv would be Charles because he more stupid and Harry would be Hal because they are more of the leader and he does more of the bad things.
4.) Why do you think London included these three characters in the book? What do they represent?
I think she included these characters maybe because there is usually characters like that in many different story's, so she wanted the story to be related to other story's.
5.) Why did Buck refuse to rise and lead the team? What did he have that his masters lacked?
Buck refused because his instincts told him to not go on the ice because they would fall in. Buck had bravery and instincts.
Vocabulary:
Salient - most noticeable or important.
“This belt was the most salient thing about him.”(pg.93)
Callow - (esp. of a young person) inexperienced and immature.
“It advertised his callowness—a callowness sheer and unutterable.”(pg.93)
Chaffering -drive (a car or a passenger in a car), typically as part of one's job.
“Buck heard the chaffering, saw the money pass between the man and the Government agent, and knew that the Scotch half-breed and the mail-train drivers were passing out of his life on the heels of Perrault and Francois and the others who had gone before.”(pg.93)
Apprehensively - with anxiety or apprehension
“Buck watched them apprehensively as they proceeded to take down the tent and load the sled.”(pg.94)
Remonstrance - a forcefully reproachful protest.
“Mercedes continually fluttered in the way of her men and kept up an unbroken chattering of remonstrance and advice.”(pg.94)
Averred - state or assert to be the case.
“She clasped hands about knees, rocking back and forth broken-heartedly. She averred she would not go an inch, not for a dozen Charleses.”(pg.100)
Jaded - tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something.
“Four times he had covered the distance between Salt Water and Dawson, and the knowledge that, jaded and tired, he was facing the same trail once more, made him bitter.”(pg.103)
Voracious - wanting or devouring great quantities of food.
“The Outside dogs, whose digestions had not been trained by chronic famine to make the most of little, had voracious appetites.”(pg.104)
Cajole - persuade someone to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery.
“And to cap it all, when Mercedes, with tears in her pretty eyes and a quaver in her throat, could not cajole him into giving the dogs still more, she stole from the fish-sacks and fed them slyly.”(pg.104)
Innocuously - not injurious to physical or mental health
“With the dogs falling, Mercedes weeping and riding, Hal swearing innocuously, and Charles's eyes wistfully watering, they staggered into John Thornton's camp at the mouth of White River.”(pg.114)
Terse - sparing in the use of words; abrupt.
“He whittled and listened, gave monosyllabic replies, and, when it was asked, terse advice.”(pg.114)
Inarticulate - unable to speak distinctly or express oneself clearly.
“And then, suddenly, without warning, uttering a cry that was inarticulate and more like the cry of an animal, John Thornton sprang upon the man who wielded the club.”(pg.117)
Activities: (choose one)
3.) Write a journal entry about a time you didn't listen to someone with more experience than you. What happened? What did you learn?
One time I was going to try to fix something, and i told my dad and he said it would not work but i did it anyways and when I tried to fix it it would not work. I told my dad that I could not fix it, and he said I knew it, you should have listened, and then he fixed it for me. I learned to listen to my parents more often because most of the time they will be right, and that I should just take advice from them.
1.) Reread London'd first description of Hal and Charles. What do you think will happen to them based on this initial description?
What I think will happen is that they are not very experienced so they will not do good when they are sledding.
2.) What was Mercedes' reaction when experienced men went though to lighten the load? What does this say about her and about her relationship with her husband and brother?
Her reaction was that she was acting like a princess and she through a tantrum and she was selfish.
3.) Compare Charles, Hal and Mercedes to any other characters you've met in other books, movies, plays, television shows, or real life. What traits did Buck have that allowed him to adapt to the north that they lacked?
Home Alone would be a good movie because Marv would be Charles because he more stupid and Harry would be Hal because they are more of the leader and he does more of the bad things.
4.) Why do you think London included these three characters in the book? What do they represent?
I think she included these characters maybe because there is usually characters like that in many different story's, so she wanted the story to be related to other story's.
5.) Why did Buck refuse to rise and lead the team? What did he have that his masters lacked?
Buck refused because his instincts told him to not go on the ice because they would fall in. Buck had bravery and instincts.
Vocabulary:
Salient - most noticeable or important.
“This belt was the most salient thing about him.”(pg.93)
Callow - (esp. of a young person) inexperienced and immature.
“It advertised his callowness—a callowness sheer and unutterable.”(pg.93)
Chaffering -drive (a car or a passenger in a car), typically as part of one's job.
“Buck heard the chaffering, saw the money pass between the man and the Government agent, and knew that the Scotch half-breed and the mail-train drivers were passing out of his life on the heels of Perrault and Francois and the others who had gone before.”(pg.93)
Apprehensively - with anxiety or apprehension
“Buck watched them apprehensively as they proceeded to take down the tent and load the sled.”(pg.94)
Remonstrance - a forcefully reproachful protest.
“Mercedes continually fluttered in the way of her men and kept up an unbroken chattering of remonstrance and advice.”(pg.94)
Averred - state or assert to be the case.
“She clasped hands about knees, rocking back and forth broken-heartedly. She averred she would not go an inch, not for a dozen Charleses.”(pg.100)
Jaded - tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something.
“Four times he had covered the distance between Salt Water and Dawson, and the knowledge that, jaded and tired, he was facing the same trail once more, made him bitter.”(pg.103)
Voracious - wanting or devouring great quantities of food.
“The Outside dogs, whose digestions had not been trained by chronic famine to make the most of little, had voracious appetites.”(pg.104)
Cajole - persuade someone to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery.
“And to cap it all, when Mercedes, with tears in her pretty eyes and a quaver in her throat, could not cajole him into giving the dogs still more, she stole from the fish-sacks and fed them slyly.”(pg.104)
Innocuously - not injurious to physical or mental health
“With the dogs falling, Mercedes weeping and riding, Hal swearing innocuously, and Charles's eyes wistfully watering, they staggered into John Thornton's camp at the mouth of White River.”(pg.114)
Terse - sparing in the use of words; abrupt.
“He whittled and listened, gave monosyllabic replies, and, when it was asked, terse advice.”(pg.114)
Inarticulate - unable to speak distinctly or express oneself clearly.
“And then, suddenly, without warning, uttering a cry that was inarticulate and more like the cry of an animal, John Thornton sprang upon the man who wielded the club.”(pg.117)
Activities: (choose one)
3.) Write a journal entry about a time you didn't listen to someone with more experience than you. What happened? What did you learn?
One time I was going to try to fix something, and i told my dad and he said it would not work but i did it anyways and when I tried to fix it it would not work. I told my dad that I could not fix it, and he said I knew it, you should have listened, and then he fixed it for me. I learned to listen to my parents more often because most of the time they will be right, and that I should just take advice from them.