How does the author use allusion in the novel, The Unsinkable Greta James?

The author's allusion to Jack London's The Call of the Wild establishes the novel as a symbol of the past. Ben has established his career upon researching London and writing about The Call of the Wild. He is, therefore, afraid to let the book and its author go in order to pursue a new project. He becomes attached to this one work, terrified of what letting it go will mean for his future. At the end of the novel, however, he sends Greta a copy of Moby Dick instead of another copy of The Call of the Wild, a gesture that conveys his desire to build something new with Greta.