Most Dangerous Game 'And The Complexity Of Fear'

Fear prevents us from thinking. The emotional panic that comes with fear shuts down parts of the brain that are important for forming thoughts.This can lead people to make dramatic changes to their life, morals, and general behavior after experiencing traumatic situations. Things like this are commonly shown in media and literature like in the “Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, and “The Complexity of Fear” by Mary Lamia. All of these pieces of media have plot lines that show how people go through drastic changes as a result of gaining perspective from fear. Whether it be a change in opinion seen in “ The Most Dangerous Game”, a change in attitude seen in “A Christmas Carol”, or a change in general

Throughout the story Rainsford had to face General Zarroff, the antagonist, and his angry hunting dogs, while realizing how terrifying it is to be hunted. In the story Rainsford admits that he “knew now how an animal at bay feels”(Connell 32). This admission shows how Rainsford has gained perspective and now understands the way the prey feels while being hunted. After Rainsford has this epiphany it is obvious to the reader that his opinion on hunting has now changed and Rainsford character has overall became more empathetic towards animals. Ultimately, this demonstrates how fear gave prospective and motivated Rainsford to change his

Similarly, to how fear motivates people in the “A Christmas Carol” and “The Most Dangerous Game”, “The Complexity of Fear” describes how fear can help people gain perspectives and motivate them to change based on how they react to fear. Most reactions to fear can be categorized into either a fight or flight response but “some researchers suggest an expanded version of flight or flight response, namely, fight, flight, freeze, or fright” (Lamia 1). This expansion of fight or flight shows just how many reactions to fear people can have and understanding how someone can react to fear can give them perspective and motivate them to change. For example, if someone reacts to fear with a fight response, meaning they imminently respond to fear with some kind of physical violence, then they might be motivated to go to the gym to get stronger to be able to protect themselves in dangerous situations. All in all, this example proves how fear gives people new perspectives resulting in them changing their general behaviors like going to the