What is Fear?
Fear is a chain reaction that starts in the brain with a stressful stimulus and ends with the releasing of chemicals that cause a racing heart, faster breathing, and energized muscles. This reaction is otherwise known as the fight-or-flight response. There is no limit to what the stimulus is, so long as it remains stressful or even traumatizing to the individual.
Fear is almost entirely an autonomic response; meaning that we don't trigger this chain reaction or know what is happening until the reaction has run its course. The chain reaction that is fear has two processes that happen simultaneously: the high road and the low road.
The low road is the part of the brain that says "take no chances, get out of here". If you hear something at night and begin to freak out, this is the doing of the low road. The low road is the actual fear part of the chain reaction, or the "flight" part of the fight-or-flight reaction.
On the other hand, the high road is a lot more thoughtful; the high road takes into consideration the possibilities of the noise: "is it a burglar, or could it be my dog?" The high road fills in the "fight" portion of the fight-or-flight response. Additionally, the high road may be able to debunk the noise as something that the individual may have imagined, and as such, the high road may shut down the fight-or-flight response, as there is no real danger. However, the high road is also the longer of the two processes. This is the reason why you have a moment or two of terror and then calm.
Fear is almost entirely an autonomic response; meaning that we don't trigger this chain reaction or know what is happening until the reaction has run its course. The chain reaction that is fear has two processes that happen simultaneously: the high road and the low road.
The low road is the part of the brain that says "take no chances, get out of here". If you hear something at night and begin to freak out, this is the doing of the low road. The low road is the actual fear part of the chain reaction, or the "flight" part of the fight-or-flight reaction.
On the other hand, the high road is a lot more thoughtful; the high road takes into consideration the possibilities of the noise: "is it a burglar, or could it be my dog?" The high road fills in the "fight" portion of the fight-or-flight response. Additionally, the high road may be able to debunk the noise as something that the individual may have imagined, and as such, the high road may shut down the fight-or-flight response, as there is no real danger. However, the high road is also the longer of the two processes. This is the reason why you have a moment or two of terror and then calm.
Connections to The Awakening and Their Eyes Were Watching God
Fear has been present throughout the history of man since the beginning of time. As such, fear has been present in all forms of media; books, TV shows, movies, and other forms of media all have fear within to some degree. This can be found within two novels: The Awakening by Kate Chopin, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.
In The Awakening, the main character, Edna, has a growing fear of not being recognized as an individual. Edna feels as if she's nothing more than another possession that her husband, Leonce, can show off to his friends and associates. Edna feels no connection with Leonce, as in chapter seven, she thinks to herself: "...her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident, in this respect resmbling many other marraiges which masquerade as the decrees of Fate." (Chopin, 36) This fear inspires her to chase her dreams and go from "Edna Pontellier, wife of Leonce Pontellier" to just "Edna".
In Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character, Janie, experiences a different kind of fear. Instead of the fear of never feeling as an individual, Janie experiences the fear of never being in love. This fear is instilled in her early on when her Nanny in chapter two says: "...Janie, youse got yo' womanhood on yuh. Ah wants to see you married right away." (Hurston, 12) However, even after being married, Janie's fear of not being in love pursues her still. Even after marrying her first husband, Logan, she feels no sincere hint of romance, or her idea of love.
In The Awakening, the main character, Edna, has a growing fear of not being recognized as an individual. Edna feels as if she's nothing more than another possession that her husband, Leonce, can show off to his friends and associates. Edna feels no connection with Leonce, as in chapter seven, she thinks to herself: "...her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident, in this respect resmbling many other marraiges which masquerade as the decrees of Fate." (Chopin, 36) This fear inspires her to chase her dreams and go from "Edna Pontellier, wife of Leonce Pontellier" to just "Edna".
In Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character, Janie, experiences a different kind of fear. Instead of the fear of never feeling as an individual, Janie experiences the fear of never being in love. This fear is instilled in her early on when her Nanny in chapter two says: "...Janie, youse got yo' womanhood on yuh. Ah wants to see you married right away." (Hurston, 12) However, even after being married, Janie's fear of not being in love pursues her still. Even after marrying her first husband, Logan, she feels no sincere hint of romance, or her idea of love.
Original poem: Alone
I'm surrounded by people
That wear smiles and shine
But I still feel alone; all in my mind
Always, I've been that one
Who has many friends
And feels that they're none
I'll go alone, and never speak of this again
For this fear is one that will never amend
It'll stay alive, until the bitter end
For then to heaven my soul shall send
And here I go again, better off this way for now
This constant isolation, I wish to no longer allow
But I can't stop the rain from coming in
I am alone
and I can't like it
That wear smiles and shine
But I still feel alone; all in my mind
Always, I've been that one
Who has many friends
And feels that they're none
I'll go alone, and never speak of this again
For this fear is one that will never amend
It'll stay alive, until the bitter end
For then to heaven my soul shall send
And here I go again, better off this way for now
This constant isolation, I wish to no longer allow
But I can't stop the rain from coming in
I am alone
and I can't like it