In The Call of the Wild, before Buck attempted to break out the frozen 1,000-pound sled-load, John Thornton whispered to him, "As you love me." Why did this seem like a conjuration to the crowd?
The crowd thought John Thornton was cheating.
The crowd thought it was a silly display of affection.
The crowd thought it seemed like magic.
The crowd thought it seemed like magic.
The crowd thought it seemed like magic.
In order to understand why the crowd thought John Thornton's whispering, "As you love me," seemed like a conjuration, we need to analyze the context and the possible interpretations of his statement.
To clarify, a conjuration refers to an act of summoning or calling upon supernatural forces. In this case, John Thornton's words might have given the impression that he was invoking some kind of mysterious power or commanding Buck to perform a seemingly impossible task.
The reason behind this interpretation lies in the situation at hand. Buck, a domesticated dog, was attempting to break out a frozen 1,000-pound sled-load, which required immense strength and effort. The spectators witnessing this scene already knew that sled teams, consisting of multiple dogs, were usually required to pull such heavy loads, making it an almost impossible task for a single dog like Buck.
When John Thornton whispered, "As you love me," it could have been seen as a desperate plea or a heartfelt command from Thornton to Buck, urging the dog to go beyond its normal limits and perform this seemingly impossible feat out of love and loyalty. This emotional plea may have seemed almost supernatural to the onlookers, as if Thornton's words possessed an otherworldly power that motivated Buck to succeed.
Therefore, the crowd interpreted John Thornton's whispered statement as a conjuration because it appeared to them that his words magically transformed Buck's capabilities or compelled the dog to perform an extraordinary act out of sheer love and devotion.