Text Complexity Analysis of The Call of the Wild by Jack London the story and require the reader to think globally as well as reflect on one’s own personal philosophy of life. Since many consider this novel to be an autobiography of Qualitative Measures London’s own philosophy and life experiences, it is recommended that a reasonable amount of time be devoted to examination of London’s personal life and how he was Levels of Meaning/Purpose: impacted by the following 19th century philosophers: Englishmen Charles Darwin, The novel has multiple levels of meaning as well as multiple levels to the storyline. with his theory of “the struggle for existence” and Herbert Spencer with “only the Set primarily in Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896-97, the main character strong survive,” and German, Freidrich Nietsche, with his “might makes right” Buck, a 140 pound dog, was kidnapped from a civilized life in California and sent philosophy. north to learn to survive in the hostile Northland as a sled dog. It is during these struggles that he must learn to adapt to the harsh realities of survival in his new environment. QuaQualitativentitative Measures Measures The lexile is 1010 which is 7.8 grade level. Structure:

The story is told chronologically, using the 3rd person omniscient point of view. This is significant because the characters are primarily dogs. This allows a greater sense of realism to the story, and the dogs begin to assume many human qualities. Reader-Task Considerations Though somewhat unconventional because the protagonist is not human, this book can be viewed as a coming of age novel since Buck needs to complete a It is recommended that this novel be used in eighth grade because of the complexity transformation of setting, lifestyle, and personal morality to survive. Flashbacks are of the writing. It serves as an excellent model for the teaching of writing complex and present throughout the novel for Buck to reflect on his personal development. compound sentences teaching and reinforcing figurative language, literary allusions, symbolism, and the essential elements of a novel. Language Conventionality and Clarity: Additionally, the Common Core State Standards are directly addressed when a film This story is written in a very sophisticated and formal style. It features highly adaptation is shown after a thorough study of the novel. complex sentence structure throughout the novel which, coupled with difficult vocabulary and extensive use of figurative language, make close readings of the text compulsory. Finally, the dialect of the human characters of French-Canadian descent, or of German descent, or of Upper Class American descent further complicates the Recommended Placement text.

Knowledge Demands: While on the surface The Call of the Wild is an exciting adventure story, there is far The qualitative measures and reader and task considerations indicate that the novel greater depth to the storyline as a whole. Set during the Klondike Gold Rush or is best placed at the 7th-8th grade complexity band. The quantitative measures clearly 1896-97, which greatly impacted the West Coast of the United States, the basic place this novel in7th-8th grade as well. theme is of “survival of the fittest.” However, the underlying themes provide a depth to