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Although the man in the red sweater never receives a proper name, he nevertheless has a notable impact on Buck as he embarks on his journey of self-discovery. Buck falls into the man’s possession after Manuel kidnaps him from his home in Santa Clara Valley, and he immediately views him as a threat. This suspicion ultimately proves true when the man in the red sweater readily beats Buck with a club after letting him out of his cage, a scene which emphasizes the cruel world that lies beyond the comforts of domestic life. The man in the red sweater himself functions as a symbol of the challenges and suffering that await Buck throughout the remainder of the novel. Club in hand, he intentionally commits acts of brutality against each dog that comes into his care. The fact that London refuses to give him a name, a choice which emphasizes his inhumanity, allows the man in the red sweater to become an embodiment of danger more broadly. Choosing red for the color of his sweater also reflects his specific association with blood and violence. Such antagonistic forces do not discriminate, and learning how to withstand them is key to survival. Ironically, Buck does not resent the man with the red sweater for the pain that he inflicted on him during their first interaction. He chooses to view this experience as a lesson, and his understanding of man’s dominance shapes the way in which he adapts to the next stage of his life under the care of Francois and Perrault. “Primitive law” emboldens him to use brute strength and aggression as methods of achieving mastery among other dogs, although he maintains a level of obedience knowing the power that a man with a club can wield over him. Without learning this difficult truth from the man with the red sweater, Buck may not have been equipped to survive in the wilderness.
