Steinbeck discusses fear in this chapter. He explains that the animosity of the land owners towards the migrants stems from economic factors. He also shows that the policies of the land owners are actually self-destructive and can only bring about their own ruin. In addition, Steinbeck discusses the fear of the migrants over their desperate plight, a fear which leads to anger and will eventually lead to violence.
Discuss an example from your own life or from history in which fear played a major role. Do not repeat anyone else's answer. Give sufficient details about the situation that "show" not "tell" how fear influenced that situation and what resulted from the fear.
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Fear shapes every life. From mere animals to humans. The fear of one thing will lead us to another while fear of some ideas will push us to them. People say they do not fear an obsticle in their path, while they say it is anticipation but it is really fear. What shapes people's life more than fear its self is how people deal with their fear. Some because they fear will charge headlong into it while others will avoid at all costs. For many years people were afraid of bringing rebellion against the British for the American Colonies, but eventually some took that fear and used it to spur the rebellion itself.
I would say that I am a fairly safe girl. I practice safe driving, safe internet surfing, and i eat only what looks safe enough to eat (you can pause and laugh, its okay i wont care). Its just the way i was brought up. Be safe in everything you do. I even pick and choose my friends, very carefully now. Before, I was not very picky about whom i was friends with.
About a year ago, my friend and i were walking home and we decided it would be shorter to go through Oakdale Park. Crossing over the bridge (which frightens me by the way) he decided to scare the everliving daylights out of me by jumping up and down and back and forth. The bridge shook momentarily and screaming, I took off running. By going through the park, naieve me, I thought walking through, straight through. But as it turns out, he had other plans. He sexually assulted me. Normally I can hold my own, but the fear running through my mind and body was so overwhelming that I couldnt even process a solitary, coherent thought. Walking home by myself frightened me, because if one of my supposed best friends could do this to me, who else could? I constantly checked over my sholder to make certain he wasnt following me, and I walked home as fast as I possibly could. I never go anywhere by myself anymore, and I choose my friends more wisely. This fear drove me to report him the next morning before school started. He was arrested on charges of sexual assult and I feel more at ease knowing that I responded quickly to a difficult sitiuation.
In January late one night I got a phone call telling me that one of my best friends from Texas was in I.C.U. Her sister called me crying, trying to tell me what had happened. Finally a police officer told me what happened. I never thought I would ever get a call as tragic as that one. My exboyfriend had attacked my best friend as a way to get back at me. To top it all off they didn't have him in custody at the time. He had slipped town and they weren't aware of his where abouts. This brought fear to me like no other. This guy is a dangerous person and he was free. It took the police 3 weeks to catch him. They caught him in Oklahoma, he was on his way to Kansas. Those three weeks were filled with fear like no other. I feared for my friend's life and my safety. This story ends with my friend leaving the hospital after my exboyfriend was caught. Otherwise I don't think she would have ever left that hospital. The trial is in March and I have to write a statement. I also fear this but I know he will be put in jail for a long time so it must be done.
An example of fear in history is 9/11 in America. When this event happened, America became extremely scared of such a thing happening again. As a result from this fear, America is now in a war against terrorism. In airports, security measures have been upped to a rediculous extent, making the security lines miles long. When you go to an airport, often times one will see even little old ladies getting their bags searched. Not only this, but America is also more racist against Middle Eastern looking people.
Hitler's rule in Germany during WWII was based off of fear. People feared to rise up against Hitler because he had killed people for thinking about challenging him. People were so afraid of him that even when he was doing terrible things across Europe the German people would not do anything. You could tell that he was feared because not everyone liked him but he was still able to rule Germany and start WWII
An example from history that illustrates fear and its effects on the population would be the Cold War. Anti-Communism views were prominent at this time in fear of espionage or an atomic bomb, or nuclear attack. The Cold War lasted for an extensive amount of time, the mid 1940’s to the early 1990’s. The fuel to the Cold War was fear. It was out of fear that families created bomb shelters. It was out of fear that families prepared for a nuclear attack, and it was out of fear that our own country built up its military in case of an attack. Various events sparked because of this fear such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War. Fear is directly related to a lack of trust. The United Sates during the Cold War could represent the land owners in Grapes of Wrath, and the migrant families could represent fear altogether.
From time to time, everyone is struck by the tantalizing feeling that make your entire life seems frightening . That feeling is fear. In Chapter 21, another intercalary chapter, Steinbeck shows the fear of migrants and land owners throughout the Dust Bowl. Fear for their lives, their families. Fear that that fiasco would never end, they would be trapped starving and poor for the rest of their lives. Several years previous to the Dust Bowl, Americans found themselves full of fear for another reason--the threat of World War I. Fear and paranoia of this war lead to many countries becoming part of the Alliance System. Countries including as Italy, Japan, France, Belgium, the United States and many others joined together in case they needed to fight against the Central Powers, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany and the Ottoman Empire. As this war which began in 1914 loomed, many countries joined the Allies because of fear that their country would be affected by the Central Powers next. This is just one of countless examples of how fear has played a major role in history.
My most fearful times of my life have been the several times I have moved. Once again fear has begun to consume my life dashed with bit of anxiety, excitement and confusion as my move approaches once again. Six years of friends, familiarity, identity and memories are gone. As you leave, a chunk of you goes missing. Sometimes you feel like if you would stay and never meet anyone or have any friends that the pain would be easier to deal with. Now you get to fill it with new; new friends, new house, new memories. You get sick of the new, you long for the old. But soon you adapt, humans are good at that. The new wears in, and becomes more like the old. Life gets understandable again. Time goes by; friends, school, prom, graduation. The pain is numbing as you busy yourself so you will forget. And you do, and everyone back home does too. Now here comes the best part. The knowledge that as soon as the pain gets numbed, as soon as you learn to forget; you must move again. The process becomes manageable but the process becomes more feared.
An example of fear ruling a situation is present in the entire Kim Jong-Ill and the North Korean situation. He demonstrated that he is not only a threat to the United States, but to the whole world when he detonated a nuclear warhead in his own country. The news has been covering as much as they could on Ill, and have concluded that he is an evil genius. Many Americans are stressed out because they know that a madman essentially controls they're fate.
The war-torn countries of Europe suffered from destruction, devastation and a shaky economy immeadiately following World War II. Joseph Stalin, leader of the U.S.S.R, and powerful communist instilled fear into these vulnerable countries by attempting to impress a communist government upon them. This action upset the United States, who believed that that form of opression would eventually cause another world war. Countries such as Czech., Hungary, Albania and others succumed to Stalin's pressure for control of their countries. However, the United States, more so out of fear of a communist world, created the Atlantic Pact, where many nations joined sides against Stalin and his ideas of government.
Aside from our present situation in the war on terror, fear-mongering government officials have never profitted more by putting our nation in hysterics than during the McCarthy trials. Between the late 1940's and late 1950's Sen. Joseph McCarthy led a nation-wide witch-hunt to rid the country of communist espionage, whilst his colleagues promoted anti-union propaganda and unfonded theories such as the domino effect to gain support. He used highly unethical and unconstitution means to acheive conviction and damned many an honest man. Arrests were usually based on rumors and slander and rarely on fact. If anyone dared to speak ill of corporate America or her corrupt government they were sure to find themselves behind bars.
There are many types of fear that one can have through out life. Fear of failure of fear of death just to name a few. In my life, the biggest fear I have had to deal with was when my mom first became sick, and I was overwhelmed with fear. Fear of her never being able to see me grow up, fear of her dying, and fear she will never be with me again. Even though my fear became a reality, that fear made me a stronger person. I think facing your fears, whether by choice or not, is the only way to become stronger.
My greatest fear is fear itself. This cliche phrase was actually coined by Franklin D. Roosevelt, but is still used everywhere. This cliche is so commonly used because it rings true in most every circumstance. For example, my greatest fear is fear itself because I fear my own physical responses to fear. In forensics, I worry about messing up because I worry that if I get nervous I will mess up. In reality, there are only two real fears: the fear of the unknown and the fear of fear. These two fears apply perfectly to this chapter and this book as a whole in several ways. Firstly, the idea of fear of the unknown applies to the description of Okies in this chapter and also the fear of losing one's job and being replaced. Both of these fears are fears of the unknown. Also, thinking in a Casy-like fashion, the novel also relates to the fear of fear when one acknowledges the reality that one makes their own troubles (for example Casy's idea that one creates their own sin)which is the same concept as one creating their own fears with their fear.
"December 7, 1941, a day which will live in infamy." Pearl Harbor was unexpectedly bombed by the Japanese navy on this date. It's hard to even parallel the fear that was going through the minds of the U.S. sailors stationed there. Then what would it feel like to come back from below deck and find the rest of your five man crew gone. This happened to my Great Uncle Curly. He was sent down to get ammunition and when he got back the whole gunner's nest was blown off. He must have shuddered at this site and possibly even broke out in a cold sweat. After this incident he became confident that there was definitely an outside force that kept him from that nest and he therefore became a devout Christian.
Fear, like Haley said, can make people stronger. I don't have a specific example from my life where fear played a specific role, but it's there everyday. Overcoming little things, like applying for a job, trying out for a team, standing in front of big crowds, or just making a simple phone call to a stranger will eventually lead us to the realization that life isn't always as much of a threat as it appears to be. I think to some extent, I fear failure-failure in school and with friends and family. Sometimes, though, fears that come true, like getting a bad grade in a class, can makes us realize that no one is perfect and too much pressure is not healthy. Courage, the opposite of fear, can only be gained when people face their fears head on.
I think all of us fear failure in some way. Whether or not it changes our opinion of ourselves is irrelevant, sometimes we fear failure because of how other people will view that failure. In basketball sometimes i find myself second guessing my shot selection. This is often not affected by whether or not i think the shot is a good one but rather i have a certain fear for missing the shot. This fear must be overcome if I am to develop into a bigger threat offensively. Wayne Gretzky once said "You miss 100% of the shots you never take." I am continuing to apply that not only to my basketball game but to life as well. Do not fear failure but just accept it as a possible outcome. If you are afraid to fail you will never be able to succeed.
Fear is a huge factor in my life, but in all honesty is probably one of the largest driving factors that motivates me. I'm always afraid of not being good enough or not being the best. Particularly in school, and as Allison mentions in debate and forensics. Fear mostly motivates me to work, because I'm afraid of what will happen if I fail or don't meet goals. Sometimes I think that fear can be unhealthy, because I often miss out on fun, social activities for fear of that big test, or looming tournament. Although fear isn't good in all situations, in mine, it is essential. If I had no sense of fear and anxiety, I wouldn't be comfortable of myself and my accomplishments. That sounds very shallow and judgmental, but I just hold myself to a higher standard than anyone else and admire those who are comfortable enough with themselves to have no fear. In Grapes of Wrath, fear is a common theme as well. Everything that the Joads do is a direct result of fear, fear of those who are more powerful than them, and fear of their inadequacies. Fear is a driving factor at the basic level of human psychology. Without it, humans would have no reason to eat or even breathe because they would have no accountability for the results of their actions. At a point where the government offers little protection, the Joads are forced into a nearly Darwinian state of nature, where they must do whatever possible to survive, for fear of death.
Fear has followed me throughout my life. When I moved to Salina in Second grade I had the fear of going to a new school. Trying out for a team or performing in a school play have also caused me to fear somehting, but I think i have become a more well-rounded person from these expierences.
Performing in Jake's Women was my biggest fear recently. I was so afraid of walking out on stage and losing all my confidence. All my lines were strongly memorized, but i had the feeling in my stomach that the second my mouth opened I wouldnt remember them anymore. Fortunately the play turned out to be a good expierence for me because i faced my fears. If i never would have just gotten over my fears and done the play I wouldnt have found a hobby that i really enjoy doing.
"People fear what they do not understand." This saying is one that proves itself true time and time again. Not only in my personal life, but in the history of the world.
The thing with fear is that it activates the flight or fight reaction in humans. In otherwords, a person can be paralyzed by fear or turn their fear into anger and flip the situation around.
In my life, I have felt many instances of fear - all of them have stemmed from uncertainty. One instance that is not too personal to share occured because of fear of uncertainty.
As many people know, I study Wicca. For some people, they do not understand what that means and automatically label me a "witch" or a "devil-worshipper." In fact, I am neither. However, that is a debate to be discussed at a different time.
Last year, I was physically attacked for wearing my pentacle necklace where another person could see it. Insults I could handle, I have trained myself to tune that out and relish in the fact that I can be open-minded about a person's religion. However, this was a person that was walking in the park and happend to see my symbol - I did not know this man, and personally never hope to.
As he started yelling that I was going to burn in Hell for eternity, I turned and walked the other way. That was a mistake that I will never make again. (Turning my back on an angry person, not walking away from the situation.) The man was not satisfied with simply continuing his rant to my back, so he grabbed my hair and forced me to look at him while he continued to yell obscenities at me.
The fear that I had been feeling at the beginning of this confrontation quickly took over long enough for the man to know that I was frightened. He gripped my hair tighter and tried to rip off my necklace. (Luckily the chain was too thick for that to happen.) That was when my fear transformed into anger that I employed to get myself away from that man.
I stomped on his foot and rammed my hand into his face - this gave me a break to extricate his fingers from my hair. I took off running and climbed up a tree (always, always wear tennis shoes when walking in the park alone!) The man tried to follow me, and the fear that I had metamorphosed into anger dashed back to fear in a second.
The man finally left me in that tree, but I refused to come down for quite a few minutes. The fear of being harmed simply because of a symbol around my neck was enough to have me hide that symbol under my shirt, although that has changed this year.
At first, it was my fear that I was feeling. Being physically attacked is one of the most nerve-wracking experiences a person can experience. When a person who is stronger and faster than you has you wrapped in his grip, uncertainty as to whether or not one would even get to see their family again becomes a fear that should Never be felt by a person.
After the attack, I felt myself learn to connect the dots. The man had seen my symbol, felt fear of uncertainty, which changed to anger as a defense, and then he attacked. Although I understand the why behind fear, I will never be able to understand the ability of one person to harm another for their religion.
With certain people disappointments do not turn out well. During my young ages, if I failed to meet the requirements of these people there was always a toll to pay. The price for failure was mostly mental punishment, for example a harsh rebuking or the belittling of my character. This brought about a fear of failure, which came with it many consequences. One of these was the act of procrastination, if I played it off and didn't do it I could get off the hook by the loophole that I was not capable or intelligent enough to complete the task when I was perfectly capable. If I just ignored the problem it would often go away, at least temporarily. Another side effect was the immense fear which drove me to try my hardest when necessary or else face the consequences. Luckily this is no longer a factor in my motivation to try.
Fear is a factor every day of my life. I am the biggest scaredy-cat, but, if you asked anyone I know, they would completely disagree. I use my fear of everyday situations to make myself stronger, and to push myself to do them. I really don't think bravery comes from having no fear, but being able to overcome these fears. For example, I was really afraid to preform my oration in forensics. So, I signed up for the very first tournament of the year, so I would HAVE to conquer my fear. Another moment at a theme park in Texas, I went on all the roller coasters in the park, even though I was terrified. I conquered my fears (and got extremely motion sick), and that's what makes you stronger.
One example of a time in history that fear played a major role comes from the Bible. For fear of imprisonment and death, Peter denied Christ three times. Previously, in a safe environment, he had told Jesus he would never deny his love for him under any circumstance. Once under the pressure of fear, however, Peter said three times, "I know him not."
After the events of the next day (Christ being crucified), Peter was filled with shame.
Fear has shaped many historical events and changed many mindsets of Americans. This can date back to the Second World War when America was attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. Americans began to put Japanese-Americans in camps solely because of their background, regardless if they were American citizens. This kind of fear also applies to our current situation with those American citizens who look Middle Eastern. We have reached the point where we are so fearful of another terrorist attack similar to September 11th. Although it is a good thing to be alert, occasionally we are mistaken and presume that just because someone appears to be Middle Eastern, they are in turn a terrorist. Fear has put this assumption in American's minds.
Fear is an everyday thing for me. After reading everyone elses entries i realize it is as big of deal for everyone else, as it is to me. Many of our fears are different, but the same as well. My fear is not as bad as everyone elses but its their. Feel free to laugh after i tell you this, but im afraid of dog sledding.
When my family went on vacation to Colorado we were looking for things to do and my mom decided dog sledding looked fun. Well little did we know that after a 20 minute instruction course they would drop us off of the top of the steepest mountain i had ever seen. It was like the dogs had a mind of their own and went down the mountain at speeds that make me cringe at the thought of it. At one point our front ski went off the side of the mountain and i thought that we were going to tumble to our deaths. But my mom and the dogs steered us out of harm and we made it safely down the mountain. If i had the chance to do it again i doubt i would do it, even though it was such an adrenaline rush. But I am proud that i did it and that i can proudly safe, "I survived dog sledding!"
Fear is a feeling that is almost always around. Fear has not played a major role in my life, but there was an event in my life where fear was involved. About two years ago, I was involved in a tiny car wrck. I hit a van in the back going about ten miles an hour. The first thing I felt was fear because I was scared that somebody could have been hurt. After I found out that no one was hurt, I felt a different type of fear because I knew my parents would not be to happy. I did not have my license yet so I was also scared of getting traffic offenses. In the end, all I had to do was to go to court and pay a fine, but since that day, I try to drive safer and pay attention to what I am doing.
Several summers ago I was backpacking in the Wyoming wilderness with my father. For over a week we remained isolated from society, living on a diet of trout and packaged food that we carried with us. Due to the distance that separated us from the nearest hint of civilization, a distance of about ten miles, my father and I were more attuned to keeping ourselves uninjured and healthy than we would normally be in a situation where we would have been able to receive immediate medical assistance without having to wait for someone to hike out of the wilderness to the nearest road in order to contact a hospital. We took extra precautions such as finding suitable trees to hang our "bear bag", the bag containing all our food. Other precautions included sterilizing any water that we consumed, thoroughly cooking any food that we ate, and dressing appropriately to prevent illness. At the end of the ten days, we successfully hiked out of the wilderness with everything we had hiked into it; including the most important thing, our health.
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