1) in a description of Buck - "He was older than the days he had seen and the breaths he had drawn."
2) Thornton's words after Buck's attempted jump from the cliff - "'No, it it splendid, and it is terrible, too. Do you know, it sometimes makes me afraid."
1 comment:
1) I think this means that Buck had quite a bit of experience in the cold wilderness and in learning to pull the sled and survive; since he spent all of his life working and not playing much at all, he had as much, if not more experience than a dog older than him going through similar conditions. He was well trained, strong, and clever—qualities that generally take some time to obtain.
2) It is wonderful that Buck is so well-trained and obedient; such a dog would not only impress other people, but also give his owner a sense of security. However, if this loyalty went out of control and caused another human, such as one with good intentions, to become seriously wounded, or if a command were given that caused the dog to, as in the cliff scene, jump to, or almost jump to, his death, a huge loss and sense of guilt would weigh down on his master. This put pressure on and caused fear in Thornton, who, like in the cliff scene, did not seriously want to cause harm.
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