In Unit 6, in ELA, which is called Up Against the Wild, there are four stories: Androcles and the Lion, Brushfire!, The Law of Club and Fang, and Julie Fights for Survival. All stories show the main theme, which is survival, but only one shows it more effectively than the others. In my opinion, The Law of Club and Fang shows survival the best, by telling us about Buck, a kidnapped ranch dog, and how he is faced with the brutal and arduous life of a sled dog. My reasons are that the story teaches us a lesson about being a sled dog and tells us about the secret of the sled dogs.
First and foremost, The Law of Club and Fang teaches the reader a lesson about survival as a sled dog. The lesson is, “Always be cautious in the wild, and in a fight, keep your feet on the ground.” According to The Law of Club and Fang, “They were camped near the log store, where she, in her friendly way, made advances to a husky dog the size of a full-grown wolf.” When Curly goes over to be nice to the husky, it attacks her and tears her face apart. Then, all the other huskies surround her and the attacking husky. She tries to defend herself, but is swept off her feet and is killed when her assailants heap on top of her. This shows us that we have to be wary and not approach people you don’t know, because they can do things you might never expect, like when Curly is attacked. It also conveys the fact that when you are off your feet in a fight, you die.
Additionally, The Law of Club and Fang tells us the secret of the sled dogs, which is about how they survive the cold nights and sleep. The secret is that the dogs curl up in the snow and let their body heat warm the snow. Based on The Law of Club and Fang, “When he entered it, both Perrault and Francois bombarded him with curses and cooking utensils.” After being shooed away from the human tent, Buck tries to find a warm place to sleep and to find his teammates, making anyone who messes with him leave him unmolested. When Buck tries to sleep in the cold, after giving up on finding his teammates, he meets Billee, a smaller sled dog, who teaches him the secret of the sled dogs. He makes a burrow and warms it up, sleeping peacefully through the night. This tells us that to survive, you need to learn the secrets of survival.
Some may say that Julie Fights for Survival shows survival the best because she loses her tools when she is already struggling with limited resources after getting lost in the Alaskan wilderness, and then finds them again. They might also say Androcles and the Lion shows survival the best because it shows how he helps a lion after running from slavery, and is later captured with the lion and pardoned because of his bravery. They could also say that Brushfire! shows it the best because it tells us how the family prepares for brushfires, but Ed Acosta is stubborn and is left behind.
But none of those stories show it in the strongest way like The Law of Club and Fang, which has multiple lessons of survival and tells us about how these dogs are treated. This story may be about dogs, but it still teaches us many lessons, such as “Be cautious when in the wild, you never truly know who to trust,” “Stay on your feet in a fight, if you fall, you die,” and “When in the wild, use the snow to keep you warm in the blustery, cold nights.”
In conclusion, The Law of Club and Fang shows survival the best because of the lessons it teaches not only sled dogs, but humans too. It teaches us to have caution, stay on your feet during a fight, and learn the secret of the sled dogs, which is about how to keep warm in cold nights by using snow. This is why The Law of Club and Fang shows survival the best.
