Friday, May 22, 2009
Chapter 2 - Being Good in an Evil Environment?
As chapter 2 comes to a close, we learn that Buck's sense of what is good and bad is changing. When he lived with the Judge and his family, "it was all well enough...to respect private property...but in the Northland...whoso took such things into account was a fool..." What does Buck do in this chapter that he would have considered morally wrong before he was kidnapped? Do you think Buck was right or wrong to stop behaving morally? Why or why not?
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One thing that Buck did, is that he stole a slice of bacon from Perrault. I think he wasnt behaving "morally right". Although first of all; he's a DOG! Secondly; if he wants to survive, he has to struggle and do things that in noraml circumstances he wouldnt have done. So, I do think that what he did wasnt so... ethical. However in the circumstances that he was in, I think it was perfectly fine for him to do what he did.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter two, Buck steals bacon from Francois. I think what he did was right in that circumstance because all the dogs were stealing from him and he needed to eat to survive. Buck was right to stop behaving morally because he now lives in a harsh life under the rule of club and fang.
ReplyDeleteIn Buck's original environment, stealing food from other dogs would not be morally right. But in Yukon with the other dogs, having to work really hard all day, it's less important to be polite and more important to look out for yourself. In conclusion, it wasn't wrong for Buck to steal the bacon.
ReplyDeleteRena, given that in the Yukon a whole team of dogs work hard all day, isn't it morally wrong for Buck to steal bacon for himself that is then not available for the other dogs?
ReplyDeleteI think there were a couple of things in Chapter 2 that Buck would have not done before. First, he watches as his friend Curly is killed, and he doesn't help. While he was Judge Miller's dog, he would have become a leader and saved Curly, but in this new enviorment he couldn't help Curly without hurting himself. Then, he stole from Perrault and another dog got blamed for it, and Buck didn't stand up. But in Buck's circumstances, I don't think he was wrong, because in that world it's every man for himself.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Mr. F-
ReplyDeleteThe bacon that he stole wouldnt have been available for other dogs in the first place! It was a humans. Moreover, the human isnt doing as much phisical activity as he is, so the human doesnt need it as badly as Buck does.
In chapter 2, we see that buck steals bacon from Perrult when he wasn't looking. I feel that this action is morally right because he is in the wild without a lot of food and deserves a treat. All the other animals are stealing, so the environment he is in does not make such a deal about stolen bacon. He followed his instincts and did what he thought was right.
ReplyDeleteI think Buck shouldn't behave normally because it is survival of the fittest. If Buck needs to steal food to survive then he should. I think Buck should just try to stay alive.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how we'd all feel if people rather than dogs were in a difficult situation. Do all the moral rules we learn go out the window when we are in a difficult situation? Or is it even more important that we maintain high standards when others might stray?
ReplyDeleteI think if Buck was anyone's dog then stealing bacon from a human like Purrult would have been fine. But it as because that he was in a environment where everything went according to law. And the only reason everything went according to law was because JUDGE Miller was his owner. Someone who was judge would never have stealing in his environment. Therefore Buck saw stealing as a very bad thing and would never do it at the judge's house. But now where stealing is part of his environment and other dogs are stealing from Buck, nothing is wrong according to Buck with stealing bacon from Purrult. In conclusion for Buck for something to be morally right or wrong it matters what his environment is like.
ReplyDeleteI think that a new envirment is good for BUck. Just not this one. Buck is beginning to relize that living in a world like this is much harder. He is starting to learn how to live indapendantly, and he is succseeding... So far.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter Two, we read that Buck stole a slice of bacon from his friend Perrault. In my opinion, if Buck were still living with the judge, he would not have even thought about stealing. Since he is now in a new environment where he obsereves crimes being comitted, he anticipated that it was fine to steal the bacon. As a result of Buck's wrongdoing, instead of Buck being accused of the crime, Dub, another dog at the campsite was blamed for Buck's misdeed.
ReplyDeletei think that for dogs there is no
ReplyDelete"right" or "wrong." there is just "survive." this is especially the case in such a harsh envirement.
We see here that Buck stole Bacon from perrault. I think what he did was ok. It was ok because he wasnt fed and needed the food to survive. He just did what he had to do.
ReplyDeletein reponse to mr f. -- i think that you are right but not b/c others might stray but b/c the effect of the action might be much greater. for example, if you stole that bacon in a normal situation it wouldn't be that much of a problem b/c the person probaly has more bacon. But in a harsh sittuation like this that bacon might be the difference between life and death. i still think that this only applies to humans though. dogs cannot tell right from wrong, and might not always understand the result of their actions.
ReplyDelete