Why did johnny follow pony boy into the church?

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demons that is dreaming which of these poetic devices is used here?

4.in those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. •type of figurative language: •meaning of figurative language: •effect on tone and mood: •effect on audience: choose out of these: hyperbole, irony, historical question, paradox, allusion,metaphor,personification,symbolism and simile

What if the author had used “looked at” instead? punishment would be deemphasized. punishments would be seen as less harsh. the meaning wouldn't change.