| Quote #4 As François's whip backed him up, Buck found it to be cheaper to mend his ways than to retaliate. (2.17) |
The threat of violence continually hangs over Buck, causing him to submit rather than fight.
| Quote #5 All his days, no matter what the odds, he had never run from a fight. But the club of the man in the red sweater had beaten into him a more fundamental and primitive code. (2.23) |
Buck quickly learns that submission is sometimes a necessary component of the law of club and fang.
| Quote #6 […] and in the bitter hatred between him and Spitz he betrayed no impatience, shunned all offensive acts. (3.1) |
Before he fights with Spitz, Buck tries to avoid a conflict.