Blog Response #5 - Online Learning Session 3 (Fear Unit)
COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS - Watch & read the transcript of the TED Talk What Fear Can Teach Us and read Richard Connell's short story The Most Dangerous Game. Then, respond to the following prompts in a clear and concise blog comment.
Please post BOTH Part A and Part B in ONE POST.
Part A: We have established that the focus of this unit is on fear and how it can shape human behavior. After viewing and reading the transcript of Karen Thompson Walker's TED Talk What Fear Can Teach Us and reading Richard Connell's short story, The Most Dangerous Game, what connections can you make between the two pieces? Why has such a truly sinister plot continued to appeal to readers for almost 100 years? Be sure to incorporate evidence from BOTH pieces in your response.
Think about: Walker's theory is that fear is positive because one can learn from it. What do the main characters in the short story learn? How does this process create excitement, and even an emotional response, from the reader? What lessons can be taken away from the story, other than the simple ones of life and death?
Part B: Discuss a time that YOU were involved in a fearful situation and LEARNED from it? What was the situation? Why was it fearful? And most importantly, what did you LEARN?
Please post BOTH Part A and Part B in ONE POST.
Part A: We have established that the focus of this unit is on fear and how it can shape human behavior. After viewing and reading the transcript of Karen Thompson Walker's TED Talk What Fear Can Teach Us and reading Richard Connell's short story, The Most Dangerous Game, what connections can you make between the two pieces? Why has such a truly sinister plot continued to appeal to readers for almost 100 years? Be sure to incorporate evidence from BOTH pieces in your response.
Think about: Walker's theory is that fear is positive because one can learn from it. What do the main characters in the short story learn? How does this process create excitement, and even an emotional response, from the reader? What lessons can be taken away from the story, other than the simple ones of life and death?
Part B: Discuss a time that YOU were involved in a fearful situation and LEARNED from it? What was the situation? Why was it fearful? And most importantly, what did you LEARN?
REPLY INSTRUCTIONS - Read through the COMMENTS made by your classmates and choose a minimum of TWO to REPLY to.
- Be sure that each reply:
- Identifies a specific aspect of a comment that you are responding to.
- Do you agree or disagree?
- Can you relate to their thoughts?
- Why or why not?
- Provides additional insight... What are your own thoughts on the topic
- Incorporates EVIDENCE to support your opinion.
- This evidence can come from a text OR your own, personal experience.
- Be sure to include identifying information and quotes if taken from a text.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete“First, At daybreak Rainsford, lying near the swamp, was awakened by a sound that made him know that he had new things to learn about fear” In the short story, Rainsford learns a valuable lesson that people rely on fear and also their instinct to avoid pain and in a way, survive. I think that this is why this story is still around after so long. People nowadays still seem to think that way, people still rely on their fear and instincts. “In their small boats, they carried only rudimentary navigational equipment and limited supplies of food and water.”. At the beginning of the ted talk, the author talks about these men that had to survive in the ocean with little supplies left. Both the ted talk and the short story focus on using fear as a way to survive.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was around 5, I heard my cousin crying after she had fallen down the stairs. Her crying not only taught me to be more careful, it also made me too scared to go down the stairs by myself. Although I wasn’t the one that fell, I learned to be a lot more careful when going down the stairs. Each time I went down the stairs I would have to grab onto the railing real tight.
I agree with you, Rainsford did have to survive off of his instincts and this lead him to surviving the General. This leads him to survive and get off of this cursed island. Rainsford also had to be careful that he had enough supplies to fight the General off with.
DeleteI agree with you that people need fear and their instincts to survive since fear keeps you alert and it sometimes does help with decision making but other times fear can guide you into the wrong choice. In Rainsford's case his fear kept him out of danger and helped him make smart decisions on how to fight back.
DeleteI agree. His instincts were definitely needed for his survival. Fear and instincts go hand in hand. He needed his survival instincts to get through his journey. His fear kept him on his toes and ready for what was to come next.
DeleteI agree with you that he used his fear to survive. He not only used it to pay attention to his surroundings but he thought quickly out of fear trying to choose the best rout and prepare them for the outcomes and what was to come.
DeleteI would have to disagree with you. although it is true in the act of animals using their instinct to discover ways to survive and avoid pain the true meaning of the TED talk and I believe the text is the resort of reasoning, it is this reasoning that us as a species are so called "Top of the food chain" even evident from the text the General no longer wanted to hunt something that only reacted by it's instinct, he wanted to hunt an human because of it's reasoning: “I wanted the ideal animal to hunt,” explained the general. “So I said, `What are the attributes of an ideal quarry?’ And the answer was, of course, `It must have courage, cunning, and, above all, it must be able to reason.’” (105) and for the meaning of using his fear to survive, he had no notion of using his fear to survive but the changing that fear into anger or in subtle differences; calmness, collective and to being to reason with his opponent.
Deletei agree with how his fear played a big role on his survival mode because his fears kept him focus on living.
DeleteThe short story character Rainsford in the story The most dangerous game had to learn how to survive and adapt to the environment so the hunter otherwise known as the General doesn't kill him. Rainsford learned that prey do feel fear which he learned first hand being prey himself to the General hunter. Rainsford also learned that he was a murderer as well as a hunter. “Instinct is no match for reason” (Page 8). This quote explains that animals or the prey only have their instinct to survive but since humans have reason, they will always win over the prey. However, at the end of the story, instinct proved stronger than reason because the prey with his instinct becomes the hunter through reason. “I am still a beast at bay” (Page 18). This quote explains that after Rainsford ills the General, he becomes the beast and he feels that he cannot be beaten and that means that he has turned from hunter to murderer.
ReplyDeleteA fearful situation I was in was when I woke up late for work. On a Saturday, I had to be at work at 5:30am but I slept through my alarm and woke up at 6am. My dad came into my room and said it's 6am! I rushed to get ready and leave. At the time a million things were going through my mind. I was wondering if I was going to get fired or if I was going to get yelled at. I called my workplace and said I would be there at 6:30am. I was frustrated with myself while I was being driven there. When I got to work finally I punched in and headed to my department, thankfully my manager was pretty chill about it so he let it slide this time. I learned that I needed to wake up on time in the future or else I would have lost my job.
I ' feel he turned to murder because he killed the person who was trying to do the same to him i feel its more he acted out of self defense because it was a kill or be killed situation
DeleteI somewhat agree with your argument but he does not become a murderer because of himself realizing he is a beast he resorts to it so that he is able to live another day. He may be a beast but he is no murderer.
DeleteI agree with Blayne here as well because Rainsford isn't the type of person we read about who would kill people for the fun of it. He hunts animals for the fun of it.
DeleteI related to your story about being late for work. Nobody ever wants to be late for work and let people down or simply just get yelled at for being late. When I still worked at my old job I closed the night before and opened the next morning at 7. I never heard my alarm going off and my mom came into my room at 7:15 and woke me up saying my job called and was asking where I was because obviously I was supposed to be at work.. They understood my circumstances because they don’t like people closing and them opening the next day. Even though I didn’t get in trouble, I was still scared driving to work that day because I didn't know what they were going to say.
DeleteI agree that instinct is no match for reason because if you think thoroughly through a situation, then you'll be better off and more calm than if you just let your imagination run wild and think up crazy scenarios.
DeleteI relate to your story, my mom took my car to run errands one day because she forgot the time I had to work so I had to call her but that made me late to work and all i was thinking about on my way to work was whether I would get yelled at or not.
Deletethe connection between the 2 are fear. in the short story rainsford is being hunted for food out of fear of death as to where the ted talk was talking about how fear is an imagination game. rainsford saw that fear was also an instinct because he had always hunted but now he was the hunted. “You’ve done well, Rainsford,” the voice of the general called. “Your Burmese tiger pit has claimed one of my best dogs. Again you score. I think, Mr. Rainsford, I’ll see what you can do against my whole pack. I’m going home for a rest now. Thank you for a most amusing evening.” [189] i feel this is important because the hunter is giving the condolences to the prey for taking out one of the dogs but also saying he wont survive long because the other dogs
ReplyDeleteA fearful situation i have been in is when i almost lost my mom. i will not go into detail but it was the worst feeling in the world thinking she could be gone
I agree that fear is the biggest connection between the two stories. Before Rainford decided to agree to play the game you could tell the fear that he had when he was asking a bunch of questions before making his final decision such as wondering "and if I win?"
DeleteI see how you would think that the broad spectrum of fear is related to both but, I can see what the characters had to do to survive is also a big thing that can be related to the two. I had a similar experience where I though my cat almost died, and I know my situation is not as severe but, I understand that feeling you must of had
DeleteIn the TED Talk What Fear can Teach Us, the main point is that our fears can be looked at positively as learning experiences. “…the fear they chose to listen to would govern whether they lived or died.” The author makes it clear that people are guided by their fear and instincts to make the right choices. In the story The Most Dangerous Game, the character Rainford learns that he relies on his fear to survive the situation he is put into as it keeps him aware and alert in his surroundings. “The general was playing with him! The
ReplyDeletegeneral was saving him for another day’s sport! The Cossack was the cat; he was the mouse. Then it was that Rainsford knew the full meaning of terror. “I will not lose my nerve. I will not.” “ (179-180). I believe that this story has appealed to people for so long because it has a twist on how fear is viewed.
A time I was in a fearful situation was when I was 15, I had sharp pain in my neck so I took ibuprofen and put a pain reliever patch on the spot that hurt. Later on in the day I almost fainted, my hearing was extremely muffled and my vision went completely white. I had no clue what was going on or what was going to happen to me. Turns out, me and my family believe that the two medications didn’t mix well and is what gave me that reaction so I learned to be careful with pain relievers.
I agree with you, both pieces explained that fear sometimes can be a good thing. In the most dangerous game, Rainsford used fear to become more aware of his surrounding because he knew that if he wasn't aware, the General would have killed him.
DeleteI agree with you both because fear is mainly viewed as a bad thing but no one looks at the good it can have to. in this such case he may have been terrified but he can also take whats learned out of that and see things like how his brain triggered fight or flight or maybe how he was able to think long enough on how to turn the hunted into the hunter
DeleteI totally agree with you! When you said that people are guided by their fear that really relates to my fearful situation, I feel that by fear racing in my head that it guided me away from a possibly bad situation. it is important to listen to your fears in some situations!
DeleteI agree that fear can be used as a positive learning experience. In Karen Thompson Walker's TED Talk, the story she uses shows how fear can have us choose the wrong path. Although, the remaining sailors that had survived will now most likely have different takes on situations. The starvation and practices they had to experience can be taken as a learning experience whether it be to not listen to stories or push past their fears.
DeleteI agree with your statement that the character Rainsford relies on his fear to survive the situation he is put into. His fear of dying and getting caught by the general pushed him to think about ways that are going to help him stay alive. Even though his traps didn’t work out the way he had planned them, he still executed them to try and stay alive; “Rainsford,” called the general, “if you are within the sound of my voice, as I suppose you are, let me congratulate you. Not many men know how to make a Malay mancatcher. Luckily for me, I too have hunted in Malacca. You are proving interesting, Mr. Rainsford. I am going now to have my wound dressed; it’s only a slight one. But I shall be back. I shall be back.”(183) The general was impressed with what Rainsford had came up with and if the general was a less experienced hunter, he wouldn’t have been able to move before the trap went off and got more hurt.
DeleteI agree with you that they used fear as a survival method to be very aware of the outcomes of their choices or the things around them. In the ted talk she also said how fear should be looked at as a good thing that helps us instead of such a scary thing but also shows the importance of listening to the right fear.
DeleteI would agree and disagree with you on how fear ultimately predicts your outcome.. and the reason is that when people are in fear mode they sometimes can not think right and break down yet in other situations when in fear some people think faster and react faster.
DeleteThere is a connection between the two pieces due to the fear caused by boating. In the Ted Talk, Thompson talks about a boating incident where the crew members are forced to choose which fear they want to overcome. An example of this states, “But they’d heard some frightening rumors. They’d been told that these islands, and several others nearby, were populated by cannibals. So the men pictured coming ashore only to be murdered and eaten for dinner. Another possible destination was Hawaii, but given the season, the captain was afraid they’d be struck by severe storms.” The crew members have to choose which fear they want to overcome, in order to get themselves to safety. And this ties into Connell’s short story when the character falls off the boat. The two characters discuss earlier how this specific island has a bad reputation, and then the character falls off the boat near this island. This character is forced to face their fears in order to keep themself safe. An example of this states, “But what kind of men, he wondered, in so forbidding a place? An unbroken front of snarled and ragged jungle fringed the shore.” This character's only option to survive is to swim to shore yet they are fearful of what may happen to them once they reach the shore. A plot like this keeps readers interested for 100s of years because people relate to this everyday. There is a lot to be afraid of in this world, and maybe it’s not so much cannibals or even falling off a boat and dying, because many people aren’t in that situation everyday. But, people must face fears everyday, and these stories keep readers interested because the characters face their fears as well, and it shows people that it can be done.
ReplyDeleteI’ve always been afraid of being the center of attention, or in front of a bunch of people. Even throughout grade school when we had to perform Christmas songs in front of an entire school’s family members. I hated it and was terrified to go on stage. Fast forward to middle or high school and I was still afraid of even talking in class. But, during my junior year I decided to challenge myself and face that fear and I took the Oral Interpersonal Communications class. Every time I had to speak in front of the class I was very fearful and nervous, and every time it went okay and I survived. This was a big step for me, but it taught me that speaking in front of people and facing my fears can be challenging yet rewarding at the same time.
I had a similar situation. I was always a shy person when it came to presenting in class which is why I took the Oral Interpersonal Communications class. It challenged me and made me a lot more comfortable with talking in front of a group of people.
DeleteIn the Ted Talk given by Karen Walker she talks about how fear is just like the brain making stories. The stories may or may not come true, but they provide enough to make us scared. This could cause hesitation, or us to not do something. This is a reason that books that can cause fear are so successful. "As a writer, I can tell you that a big part of writing fiction is learning to predict how one event in a story will affect all the other events, and fear works in that same way. In fear, just like in fiction, one thing always leads to another." When writing fear can be used to give ideas or can move a plot forward. "And sometimes, of course, our worst fears do come true. That’s one of the things that is so extraordinary about fear. Once in a while, our fears can predict the future. But we can’t possibly prepare for all of the fears that our imaginations concoct"
ReplyDeleteThe last time I felt fear was when my old dog Axel had ran away. His line broke and he took off into the woods to chase rabbits. I feared that he could get hurt as he wasn't the brightest dog. Or that he could run into traffic in the near by road. I eventually found him and brought him back. After that I always kept him by me, and learned to be more watchful.
I agree with the idea that fear has our brain's make stories that could or could not happen in the future. Although, I think more than just fear can have our minds make stories. I think stories could be made for any given situation.
DeleteI agree that you can make up stories as to what might happen or not, and I think that's a big part in making someone afraid because they're imagining the worst things happening.
DeleteThe connection that I made between the two pieces is that they’re both very old stories, one being almost 100 years old. Both of the stories are still talked about today giving us examples of fear. While both stories connect by both being on the topic of fear, Situations of fear, how they reacted from fear, along with the outcome during the fear. It was said on how your body reacts from fear such as Richared Connell stating in his story “I did feel something like a sudden chill, There was no breeze. The sea was as flat as a plate-glass window. We were drawing near the island
ReplyDeletethen. What I felt was a — a mental chill; a sort of sudden dread.” which really related on today how some humans bodies will react to fear. The plot continues to appeal to reader for almost 100 years because Rainsford agrees to play the game and that really grabs the attention of the reader because we want to see how he does and if he survives in the end.
A time I was in a fearful situation was when I was at a gas station. I was approached by two older guys who were strangers who tried to get me to go to their house for a “fire” and that they lived “right down the road”. In today’s world that really scared me because all the bad fears that could happen raced through my head. I jumped right to fear thoughts although the situation may have not had any bad intentions. Due to fear I made up a story on why I couldn't go. Although my fear could of had me overthinking the situation, that fear could of also saved me from a bad situation. It was fearful to me because I was alone and not close to home while being approached by two strangers. This experience taught me to never go to a gas station alone! Lol!
I agree with you, old stories from a long time ago, Like Shakespeare for example, teach us lessons all the time, especially about fear. I’ve had similar things happen to me when I was single, all these guys would start hitting on me for no reason and think they’ll get something in return. Glad you got out of that situation safe
DeleteThe connection between both pieces is that fear can prepare you to make decisions based on your options. In Walker’s story, the men on the little boat had to decide what to do in order to make it out alive. While in The Most Dangerous Game, the General in the story states the following: “Oh,” said the general, “I give him his option, of course. He need not play that game if he doesn’t wish to. If he does not wish to hunt, I turn him over to Ivan. Ivan once had the honor of serving as official knouter to the Great White Czar, and he has his own ideas of sport. Invariably, Mr. Rainsford, invariably they choose the hunt.” Throughout both stories told, they give suspense and the thought of what will happen next. The lesson that can be taken away from both stories are your fears could lead to death if you are not thinking outside of the box and worrying about the “stories” you overhear.
ReplyDeleteA fearful situation I've been in is being in an abusive relationship. In that relationship, I was not allowed to do anything. I could not talk to my friends or family and if I was at a family event, i was forced to prove I was their or he’d threaten to k*ll himself. I was very scary and he almost did it a few times because I was not “telling the truth” when I was but, I learned that Controlling in a relationship is wrong and what he did to me was the worst thing that no one should ever go through, I also learned that people can be manipulative to get what they want. But, the most important thing that I learned is that you do not need someone to love you and long as you show yourself love.
I agree with your statement on the connection and how the both have to deal with suspense and how it all comes together. No-one would choose Ivan because he is a big man that used to whip people for the White Czar.
DeleteI agree with you that fear can help us make decisions. I however also think fear can affect our decisions. "But they’d heard some frightening rumors. They’d been told that these islands, and several others nearby, were populated by cannibals. So the men pictured coming ashore only to be murdered and eaten for dinner." If the men had gone straight toward Tahiti they would most likely would have been fine.
DeleteI never saw it like that, but now that you mention it makes sense. I agree and see where you’re coming from. Fear can prepare you for decision making based on what you’ve got. “Rainsford remembered the shots. They had come from the right, and doggedly he swam in that direction, swimming with slow, deliberate strokes, conserving his strength. For a seemingly endless time he fought the sea. He began to count his strokes; he could do possibly a hundred more.” Rainsford knew that he couldn’t just wait around for the yacht to come back so he made the decision to swim to safety.
DeleteI agree with your thoughts, I had the same ideas too. The people in these stories had to choose the best option for them. All of the options could’ve ended poorly and had scary things involved, but in order to save themselves they had to choose. Fear can make it hard, but in order to get over a fear it must be faced, and that’s what the characters had to do. Fear must be looked at as something to overcome and not something that holds you back!
DeleteI agree with your statement that fear can prepare you for the decisions you may have to make but fear can push you in the wrong direction based on your feelings on that option. For example, the men from the ship incident all had options but they chose the one that seemed less scary to them even though they knew they would run out of food and supplies long before reaching land. The other options were covered up by rumors but may have been better than the option they chose.
DeleteI agree that fear does make you start to rethink decisions and base everything off what you have decision wise which in return creates a more suspenseful story in all.
DeleteIn Karen Walkers "What Fear Can Teach Us" TED talk she talks about the ship Essex also known as the ship that inspired the book Moby Dick. She says that Fear is a tool to help us realize what certain outcomes can come out of decisions we make and they tell the future on how to deal with those fears. “And maybe if we all tried to read our fears, we too would be less often swayed by the most salacious among them. Maybe then we’d spend less time worrying about serial killers and plane crashes, and more time concerned with the subtler and slower disasters we face: the silent buildup of plaque in our arteries, the gradual changes in our climate.”. On the other hand with "The Most Dangerous game" by Richard Conell we are taught that fear is a setback when trying to reach your goal for succession. “Rainsford had fought his way through the bush for two hours. “I must keep my nerve. I must keep my nerve,” he said through tight teeth.”
ReplyDeleteWhen I was about 13-14 I was at a trampoline park with my friends just jumping around and having a good time until I tried to do a flip, (I am not sure which way it was, I am pretty sure it was a back flip) so I wind up and jump to do the flip but I stop halfway through and fall face planting on the barrier that is set next to them. I get up and the supervisor comes up to me and asks if I am okay, I ask him "why do you ask" he says because it looks like I broke something about a few minutes later when I get home I feel super light headed and get up to go get some water and I collapse, from this experience I have learned to follow through on things because you could hurt yourself in the end.
I agree with you that fear can be used as a tool and yet it can cost the ability to create the best decisions for the long term but it can help us with things that come at us at the moment.
DeleteBoth of these stories exploit the fact that fear can actually be a positive thing. Take “The Most Dangerous Game” By Richard Connell for example. ”One superstitious sailor can taint the whole ship’s company with his fear.” I took this quote from “The Most Dangerous Game” because it proves the point that ghost stories spread and they soon become a game of sorts and it becomes fun to tell these ghost stories. In “What Fear Can Teach Us”By Karen Thompson Walker it's said, “In English, fear is something we conquer. It’s something we fight. It’s something we overcome. But what if we looked at fear in a fresh way? What if we thought of fear as an amazing act of the imagination, something that can be as profound and insightful as storytelling itself?” So you see fear isn’t something we should be afraid of. It's something we should encourage.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger I was terrified of a movie that was called, “Gremlins”. I remember hiding under a pillow to shield my eyes from seeing it. Recently, I watched the movie again and it’s no longer scary, but funny. I was ridiculous for being afraid of it and learned that it's okay to change your opinion on things. It just means you’re growing up.
I really like your thoughts on how fear can be positive and I agree. In both stories the characters had to overcome their fears and learn from them. They gained positive experience even though it may have been scary. I think looking at fear in terms of it being something that one can overcome or learn from is a very important lesson. It may be scary but learning from this and using it to help you in the future is very important. Your quote about fear being a part of our amazing imaginations fit perfectly in your argument!
DeletePart A: Walker’s Theory that fear can be a positive thing because people can learn from it can be used in the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell. One example can be used to prove Walker’s theory is that the main character in the story, Rainsford was fearful of the island he was stranded on, the mysterious man by the name of Zaroff and the fact Rainsford was being hunted. Rainford was smart enough and he had experience in hunting, making traps, making trails with many dead ends and coming out of World War One. This process creates emotions for the reader because we may wonder what would happen if our character(s) got caught by the villain. One lesson we can learn from this story is to be like Rainsford. Quick-witted, clever and never allow fear to get the best of you.
ReplyDeletePart B: One time when I was involved with a fearful situation was when I first went onto a plane to go Florida for Summer vacation when I was six. I was scared because I never was in a plane before and up in the sky before. When I landed in Orlando Florida I learned that being in a plane was fun and the landing was more thrilling than I ever had anticipated.
What connects Karen Thompson Walker's TED Talk and Richard Connell's short story is for better or worse the way fear helps us adapt to a situation. As seen in Karen Thompson Walker’s TED Talk when she explains the choice that was made by the sailors, “After much deliberation , the men finally made a decision. Terrified of cannibals, they decided to forgo the closest islands and instead embarked on a much longer and much more difficult route to South America.” Even if the Cannibals were just stories the thought of it made them head in the longer direction knowing starvation would be imminent. This can also be seen multiple times within Richard Connell’s short story. A specific instanstance would be when the general ran into Rainsford’s first trap, “When the general, nursing his bruised shoulder, had gone, Rainsford took up his flight again. It was flight now, a desperate, hopeless flight, that carried him on for some hours.” (180 - 185) The fear that Rainsford was experiencing first made him fight, setting the trap and hopefully trapping the general. After that had not worked he decided to run as fast as he could while he still had the chance.
ReplyDeleteAs a child I was always afraid of theme parks and roller coasters. Anytime a family trip was taken or I knew I would have to ride one I would always get quite scared. The time leading up the ride was always the scariest part. When sitting in the seat the anxiety and fear is at its peak. Depending on the ride it was either fun or nauseating. Either way I learned and always knew that I would exit the ride safe at some point.
I agree that fear helps us adapt to our situation. In my blog I talked about how in both stories the characters were faced with their biggest fears and overcame them. However they overcame them by becoming the thing they feared the most. For example, in the TED Talk the crew members feared cannibals but most of them died or resorted to cannibalism. And in Connell’s story Rainsford feared being hunted but ended up hunting General Zaroff. So in a way their fears helped them adapt to a new way of living in their situations.
DeleteWalker’s theory that fear is positive because you can learn from it is present in both texts. In Karen Thompson’s story, the men learned that by choosing the furthest route due to fear of the other two routes, half of their men wouldn’t make it to land and they would turn to the thing they feared before, cannibalism; “After more than two months at sea, the men ran out of food as they knew they might, and they were still quite far from land. When the last of the survivors were finally picked up by two passing ships, less than half of the men were left alive, and some of them had resorted to their own form of cannibalism. Herman Melville, who used this story as research for Moby Dick, wrote years later, and from dry land, quote, “All the sufferings of these miserable men of the Essex might in all human probability have been avoided had they, immediately after leaving the wreck, steered straight for Tahiti. But,” as Melville put it, “they dreaded cannibals.”(pg 3) We believe so much of what we read and hear without actually experiencing it ourselves. That is where the fear came from that steered them away from Tahiti in the first place. In The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Cornell's, we read about a man that is just trying to survive so he can get home. Rainsford is a hunter that hunts for sport. He enjoys hunting and has no sympathy for the animals that he kills because he believes they can't feel fear. That takes a quick turn when Rainsford becomes the prey to a sick man's game. Rainsford finally realizes the fear that the animal encounters by being chased and hunted; “At first, Rainsford believes only humans can feel, but by the end, he agrees with Whitney that animals can also feel “fear of pain” ( Paragraph 13). Rainsford never really thought of how the animal that he hunted felt, but when he stepped into their shoes, he knew exactly how they felt bad. Nobody really knows the true amount of fear someone is going through until they endure it themselves.
ReplyDeleteA fearful time in my life was the car accident I got into earlier this year. I was driving from my home to get my sister from her soccer practice. I got down the street from my house to a four way stop and then there were two other cars that had got there before me so they had the right of way. I frequently check my mirrors, so when I checked my rear view mirror and saw a car that was coming too fast I got scared, I knew it wasn’t going to be able to stop in time. I was correct and the man collided into the back of my car. He called the police and I called my mother because I was scared and it was the biggest accident I have ever been in. My car was totaled and I had to say goodbye to my first car and get a new one. From this fearful experience I have learned to be more alert of my surroundings. When i’m driving I get scared that someone else is going to be going too fast and hit me again. This experience has taught me to never drive distracted because I never want to be the cause of an accident.
I agree with the fact that fear can be learned from, it seems to be a common topic in both stories.
DeleteI think the mix of adrenaline and fear and fighting for survival will create excitement for the reader, this is because they don’t know what’s going to happen next which brings in excitement, curiosity and fear. Both “The Most Dangerous Game” and “What Fear Can Teach Us” associate fear with survival and using it to survive. “These were the fears that danced in the imaginations of these poor men, and as it turned out, the fear they chose to listen to would govern whether they lived or died.” is mentioned in the Ted Talk, this associates fear with survival and in “The Most Dangerous Game” the story is based off the survival and fear of being hunted.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteA common thing between What Fear Can Teach Us and The Most Dangerous Game is that fear can make you think about situations differently, or irrationally. In the TED Talk WFCTU, the sailors choose to take the longest route back to land because they were scared of the other places they could go to, but in TMDG, Rainsford made smart decisions because he had been in these types of situations before because he was a hunter.
I can't remember the last time I was in a fearful situation because I'm normally very calm about things and think it through about what to do, so I don't really panic and get afraid very often or at all. I'd like to think that's because I'm mentally strong.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBoth the Ted Talk and the story clearly show that fear drives our actions. The TED Talk states that fears can help us imagine future outcomes and the decisions that we make are based on that. In these possible future outcomes, we can make unrealistic or realistic decisions. “Rainsford, with fear again gripping his heart, heard the general’s mocking laugh ring through the jungle.” (15) As Rainford was scared for his life, he thought realistically. Having been in the war, he used skillful tactics to survive. On the other hand, In Walkers Ted Talk, the men were thinking unrealistically about what they would find on the island nearest to them: “Of all the narratives their fears wrote, they responded only to the most lurid, the most vivid, the one that was easiest for their imaginations to picture: cannibals” (Walker 3). If they had thought realistically they would have avoided the route that involved starvation, headed right for Tahiti, and most likely survived.
ReplyDeleteI was scared to drive on the highway for a while because I had never practiced on it. Until one day, I was all by myself and turned down a road that somehow got me to a highway; there was no turning back. After a slight panic, I calmed down and realized that it was just driving faster and I was fine. I learned not to let fear of the unknown take over.
I agree to the stasis of fear can drive our actions, as provided evident that these fear did indeed provide future outcomes like in the text Rainsford is quoted to believe only the devil himself could follow him, and nonchalantly claims maybe the General is the devil.. Then awaking to find that the General did indeed find him.
DeleteThese two pieces are connected because they both show that fear can be a good learning experience. Listening to your fears can make you safer and more alert of what's happening around you. It shows this in the ted talk when she said " But what if we looked at fear in a fresh way? What if we thought of fear as an amazing act of the imagination, something that can be as profound and insightful as storytelling itself?” and in the story they said “I think sailors have an extra sense that tells them when they are in danger. Sometimes I think evil is a tangible thing — with wavelengths, just as sound and light have. An evil place can, so to speak, broadcast vibrations of evil. Anyhow, I’m glad we’re getting out of this zone. Well, I think I’ll turn in now, Rainsford.” Both pieces shows how fear can be a good thing to help is stay out of danger.
ReplyDeleteA situation that was fearful was a car accident I was in a while ago. I learned to pay better attention to my surroundings and to be a better driver. I learned to not drive distracted even for a second because a second is all it takes.
I agree that fear can be a good learning experience. Like you stated fear can make you more cautious and aware. For example, in Thompson’s TED Talk she shared the story of the men on the capsized ship. They came up with different plans and calculated their risks and chances of survival. Then in Connell’s story Rainsford used his prior knowledge of being a hunter to better prepare him of being hunted. He even took precautions and set traps for Zaroff who was hunting him.
DeleteA common idea from Karen Thompson Walker’s TED Talk and Richard Connell’s story, The Most Dangerous Game, is that fear can lead someone to imagine the worst in a situation. For example, Walker shared a story about a crew on a capsized ship. In order to live they had to create a plan and came up with three different options. Their options were to swim to cannibal infested islands, go to Hawaii, or travel 1,500 miles in hopes of reaching South America. Their biggest fear of being eaten by cannibals led them to take the riskiest plan of action which was to hopefully sail and reach South America before starving to death. Thompson states, “After more than two months at sea, the men ran out of food as they knew they might, and they were still quite far from land. When the last of the survivors were finally picked up by two passing ships, less than half of the men were left alive, and some of them had resorted to their own form of cannibalism.” This quote shows that even though they thought out their different plans their biggest and worst fear of dying from cannibalism ultimately resulted in them becoming cannibals themselves. In Connell’s story the main character Rainsford faced a similar fate as the crew from Thompson’s story. Rainsford was a man who liked to hunt for sport. He said that animals didn’t have feelings and weren’t smart. He then fell overboard on his ship and swam to an island known for its mysterious reputation. He meets a man, General Zaroff, who reveals he likes to hunt other people for sport and wants him to be his next victim. Connell states, “Rainsford held his breath. The general's eyes had left the ground and were traveling inch by inch up the tree. Rainsford froze there, every muscle tensed for a spring. But the sharp eyes of the hunter stopped before they reached the limb where Rainsford lay; a smile spread over his brown face." This quote shows the immense fear that Rainsford is feeling while he is being hunted. This game leaves him terrified of dying by Zaroff’s hand and instead he decides to hunt and kill Zaroff himself. Both texts showcase that someone’s imagination can lead them to fear the worst and can lead them to become that fear.
ReplyDeleteA fearful situation that I have been in is a car accident. It was during winter and the roads were icy. My brother and I drive super carefully during the wintertime because I have a big fear of car accidents. We came to a red light and the person behind us rear ended us pretty hard. It was scary because we were on a busy road and could have caused other accidents and someone could have gotten seriously hurt. From this experience I learned that no matter how carefully you drive you can’t predict other driver’s actions and always have to be vigilant when driving.
For the introductions of what connections can I make between two pieces, I have three connections for the TED Talk by Karen Thompson and The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell. The ideas that are quoted by Karen Thompson “In English fear is something we conquer, something we fight, something we overcome.” and the ideal of how fear can create an “What will happen next?” event for the reader furthermore that sometimes “once in a while fear comes true”. As seen in the text: The Most Dangerous Game, that once in a while fear does come true when Rainsford decides to create a fake trail in an attempt to evade the General for as long as possible fearing it would not work on the General as claims of the General himself is the devil: “Rest brought him new confidence and almost a feeling of security. Even so zealous a hunter as General Zaroff could not trace him there, he told himself; only the devil himself could follow that complicated trail through the jungle after dark. But perhaps the general was a devil.” but as morning came, Rainsford was terrified to notice the General could make out the fake trail and detect his location. “The pent-up air burst hotly from Rainsford’s lungs. His first thought made him feel sick and numb. The general could follow a trail through the woods at night; he could follow an extremely difficult trail; he must have uncanny powers; only by merest chance had the Cossack Failed to see his quarry.” But even in the horror he has faced Rainsford knows the only way to survive is to fight his fear and begins to find ways to fight back overcoming his fear with anger being toyed with by the General. He begins to develop traps for the General using his expertise from previous hunting campaigns against the General leading him to success on killing the General’s subordinate: Ivan “They would be on him any minute now. His mind worked frantically. He thought of a native trick he had learned in Uganda. He slid down the tree. He caught hold of a springy young sapling and to it he fastened his hunting knife, with the blade pointing down the trail; with a bit of wild grapevine he tied back the sapling. Then he ran for his life. The hounds raised their voices as they hit the fresh scent.” “They must have reached the knife. He shimmied excitedly up a tree and looked back. His pursuers ahd stopped. But the hope that was in Rainsford’s brain when he climbed died, for he saw in the shallow valley that General Zaroff was still on his feet. But Ivan was not.” Nearing the ending we oversee the victory of Rainsford, able to kill the General finally ending his tyranny of the “Hunt” but the question still arises what is next for our character Rainsford? As he is quoted saying the words ““I am still a beast at bay” to the General can we interpret this as a way that even when the General is executed that Rainsford might still continue the “hunt” as the prey or the hunter? As we only get the ending “He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.”
ReplyDeleteFor an feeling of an fearful situation was moreless not a reality but was more of a nightmare for me, as described the nightmare was a dream of an vampiric doctor performing the surgical process of keeping me alive as long as possible to obtain the most vital yet treasured drink for it’s species, the blood of an alive victim, as he would describe to me in a hoarse voice that would tremble the even strongest of species, that the blood of the dead was rotten, it became unpurified. Each sparing day in the dream felt like an hour as the only occasion I would wake up is the vampiric doctor slowing inching an silver needle into my arm filling very slowly with the O+ blood I had, I had felt wincing pain of awaking with that silver cleaned needle in my arm. When I finally awake from the dream I always had an unsettling feeling of getting a shot of that matter, no matter the flu or gifting the blood. As the fear of one night I would be rested then awake back in the doctor’s chambers.
Part A :After watching the ted talk “What Fear Can Teach Us” and reading “Richard Connell's short story “The Most Dangerous Game” i believe they both have a connection. They both have a connection due to the fact that they both talk about fear and survival instincts and how the body changes when in these modes. Mostly because they both use some type of on the ocean and small island situation. For example in the TED talk it mentions how a crew ship was sinking and they took rescue boats with materials to survive... It also talked about giving the crew ship men 3 options on survival which the first one scared them due to the fact to a small island with cannibalism. The second example that shows how these stories are connected is found in the short story “The Most Dangerous Game” throughout the whole thing of how a hunter from New York City fell off a boat and had to swim to a island in the Caribbean, where he is hunted by a Russian aristocrat. Which later builds his fears and boosts his survival mode.
ReplyDeletePart B :Back then when I was younger I would mow lawns as a side hustle and every time the lawn mower would break I'd try to fix it in the dumbest way possible. And one random day my cousin was rushed to the hospital because he had cut his fingers off after trying to fix the lawn mower black with a stick which ended up cutting off his fingers. After that day I learned to be more careful with what I'm doing.
I do not know what they learned.
ReplyDeleteI have been alone at home for a few days and was scared of being alone. I learned how to not be so afraid. It was fearful because I hate being alone when it is quiet. When it is real quiet it is also real creepy and my anxiety starts to act up. That is why I go to bed while having music playing or have the T.V. on. That and a lamp.
Part A
ReplyDeleteI agree with Keren Thompson that fear is an amazing thought of imagination and that it can give us a fresh start. Fear is not just something you can discard and throw away fear is something that you can overcome and appreciate because fear is what makes us human. Fear keeps us alive and can teach us why more about ourselves than we ever thought before; fear is both a blessing and a curse to us as humans. The blessing of fear is that it stops us from doing something dangerous or harmful ourselves and fear it's what can make us feel alive at some points in our lives. The curse of fear is that some people never beat/ overcome their fears and never really feel free; and others may live in complete fear of everything around them. Fear we can learn from because it's not just a feeling but a thought in our minds that cause us as humans to change or overcome challenges.
Part B
I was in a fearful situation when my little brother was stuck at the top of a waterfall and needed help getting free. I was afraid that I was gonna lose my little brother or that I would fall off trying to get him unstuck. And as i was petrified by my fear I knew that I had to overcome my fear in order to get him free and take him to the sandy edge I was standing on. The one thing that helped me overcome my fear was that I needed to be a big brother and show James that I'm not afraid. So I swam over to James and grabbed him tightly around his arm and pulled him up to my chest and I swam backward to the shore line. I learned that it's ok to be afraid but in order to overcome said fear you need to have a goal and a reason to push through it.
The connection between Karen Thompson Walker’s ted talk and Richard Connell’s short story is that they didn’t let fear scare them. “And maybe if we all tried to read our fears, we too would be less often swayed by the most salacious among them. Maybe then we’d spend less time worrying about serial killers and plane crashes, and more time concerned with the subtler and slower disasters we face: …”(paragraph 11) “Did not make me condone cold-blooded murder,” finished Rainsford stiffly.
ReplyDeleteLaughter shook the general. “How extraordinarily droll you are!” he said. “One does not expect nowadays to find a young man of the educated class, even in America, with such a naïve, and, if I may say so, mid-Victorian point of view. It’s like finding a snuffbox in a limousine. Ah, well, doubtless you had Puritan ancestors. So many Americans appear to have had. I’ll wager you’ll forget your notions when you go hunting with me. You’ve a genuine new thrill in store for you, Mr. Rainsford.”
“Thank you, I’m a hunter, not a murderer.” (paragraph 115-117)
I don’t really know my self if I have ever had any fearful situation and learned from it.