Final answer:
Buck's life in California is one of comfort and authority, portrayed as a kind of king, until he is sold into sled dog life in the Klondike.
Step-by-step explanation:
As The Call of the Wild by Jack London begins, Buck's life in California is characterized by comfort and domination. In this prelude to his adventures, Buck is described as a kind of king over his domain, living a pampered and civilized life on a sprawling estate called the Santa Clara Valley. His life is one of leisure and supremacy, as he presides over all he surveys with a benevolent but firm rule. However, Buck's world is turned upside down when he is dognapped and sold into the harsh realities of sled dog life in the Klondike during the Gold Rush. The novel grapples with themes of nature versus nurture and the struggle for survival, themes deeply influenced by London's own experiences and the philosophies of thinkers such as Darwin, Nietzsche, and Marx.