Read the excerpt from part 2 of the call of the wild.

a dainty eater, he found that his mates, finishing first, robbed him of his unfinished ration. there was no defending it. while he was fighting off two or three, it was disappearing down the throats of the others. to remedy this, he ate as fast as they; and, so greatly did hunger compel him, he was not above taking what did not belong to him. he watched and learned. when he saw pike, one of the new dogs, a clever malingerer and thief, slyly steal a slice of bacon when perrault's back was turned, he duplicated the performance the following day, getting away with the whole chunk.

what theme is most supported by the ideas in this excerpt?
a. good leaders always put others before themselves.
b. both the wild and civilization have rules to be followed.
c. being smart is as important to survival as being strong.
d. it is always best to follow one’s natural instincts to survive.