As a pup, White Fang observes a hawk swoop down and kill a mother ptarmigan, (a small chicken-like bird that resides in the arctic). White Fang learns that hunting is a perilous venture, but also a rewarding one. The hawk thus stands as a symbol of masterful hunting and an active example of natural law: "eat, or be eaten."
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The Hawk Symbol Timeline in White Fang
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Hawk appears in White Fang. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 2, Chapter 4
...eating a brood of ptarmigan chicks. The chick's mother furiously attacks the cub, but a hawk swoops down and carries the mother ptarmigan away.
(full context)
Part 2, Chapter 5
...him to take his hunting more seriously. He ambitiously waits in a clearing, daring the hawk to swoop down for a fight, but it keeps circling in the sky above.
(full context)