In The Law of Life, old Koskoosh recalled the episode in the past of a moose being hunted by wolves.

In The Law of Life, old Koskoosh recalled the episode in the past of a moose being hunted by wolves. What do you think is the reason that this episode was recalled? A. Because it was a reflection of his present situation. B. Because it was the most exciting experience in his youth. C. Because it was an example of collective strength. D. Because it was symbolically a vital step into hood.

The recalled episode of the old moose hunted by wolves serves as a powerful metaphor for Koskoosh's own situation. As a frail elder abandoned by his tribe to face death alone in the snow, Koskoosh sees his fate mirrored in the moose that couldn't keep up with its herd and was separated by wolves to die.

The parallels are striking and deliberate. Both the moose and Koskoosh are "old ones" who can no longer keep pace with their communities - the moose "cannot travel as fast as the others" while Koskoosh, with "faded sight," is left behind by his tribe. The wolves' relentless pursuit of the moose ("never resting, biting at his heels") echoes nature's cold indifference to individual survival, just as Koskoosh's tribe follows "the law" by abandoning those who can't contribute. Even their final struggles mirror each other: the moose "fought desperately" before succumbing, while Koskoosh waves his brand wildly before dropping it in the snow.

This memory reveals the story's core theme: in nature's brutal order, the weak are inevitably discarded. As Koskoosh reflects that "such was the law" when thinking of how even strong maidens would be left to die in hardship, he recognizes his own abandonment as simply another instance of this unforgiving principle. The moose's death isn't just a childhood memory - it's a primer for understanding his own impending end.

Does this reflection bring Koskoosh peace or despair? By framing his death as part of a universal pattern rather than a personal tragedy, Jack London suggests the old man might find a kind of stoic acceptance in recognizing himself as just another actor in nature's eternal drama.