Blog Response #7 - Online Learning Session 5 (Fear Unit)
COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS - Read the assigned CommonLit pieces:
Why is it fun to be frightened?
On a Mountain Trail
Then, respond to the following prompts in a clear and concise blog comment.
Please post BOTH Part 1 and Part 2 in ONE POST.
Part 1: Why is it fun to be frightened? How does Dr. Margee Kerr answer this question? Do you agree or disagree? Have you ever experienced a frightening situation that was FUN? Include a piece of TEXTUAL EVIDENCE in this portion of your comment.
Part 2: In Wisconsin, we are fortunate to have many state parks and nature preserves to visit and enjoy the beauty of nature; however, Robinson’s story reminds us of the other side of nature: what lurks in the dark. Using evidence from the text, explain what part of the story you feel created the most suspense as the horses try to outrun the wolf pack and why this might be FUN to read?
I always thought that being scared was only fun because of the adrenaline rush. Margee Kerr on the other hand thinks there is more to it. She thinks that, when someone is going through scary activities, the brain gets “shut down” “to an extent, and that in turn is associated with feeling better.” I think that this is an interesting claim and after reading through the experiment, I agree with her findings. I’ve experienced a frightening situation that was fun, the times that I went to haunted houses.
ReplyDeleteTo me this part created the most suspense in the story. “But even as the hope was forming itself in my mind, I became aware of a dim, gray thing moving beside me. A moment later another appeared, close by the horses’ heads, and behind us the trail was again full of the jostling pack.” After they shot the wolves, it was scary to think how they would respond to them or whether they would try to attack the narrators or not. I think it was fun to read how the narattors saw the whole experience.
I agree with you, being scared does cause a adrenaline rush because it gets your blood pumping. Also, the quote you used causes the most suspense because it goes into detail on the wolves attacking.
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DeleteI think if it wasn't for the adrenaline rush we get, horror wouldn't be as popular as it alrighty in today's culture.
DeleteI agree with you, it’s not only the adrenaline rush that makes it fun but, it’s the outcome and how you feel afterwards that makes horror movies of haunted houses fun
DeleteI agree with your statement that fear is for the most part fun because of the adrenaline rush it gives you when you get scared. If it wasn't for the rush, I don't think as many people would like getting scared.
DeleteI thought the same as you, that fear was only enjoyable because of the adrenaline rush. After reading Why is it fun to be frightened, I also found it interesting that it’s about the “feeling better” or happiness at the end of the frightening experience: “Guests reported significantly higher mood, and felt less anxious and tired, directly after their trip through the haunted attraction” (Kerr 2).
DeleteI agree with you because I always believed it was fun getting scared because of the adrenaline rush. but now its interesting to know that it can also improve your mood or alertness after being scared.
Deletei agree with you because when i get scared i completely forget about the actual danger and just feel the adrenaline rush through my body witch feels good.
DeleteI believe it is fun to be frightened because it gives you adrenaline. She answers this question by saying that if you are in a safe place, fear can be fun because you're not actually being harmed but if you are in a real situation, fear can actually be scary. “Choosing to do fun, scary activities may also serve as a way to practice being scared, building greater self-knowledge and resilience, similar to rough-and-tumble play. It’s an opportunity to engage with fear on your own terms, in environments where you can push your boundaries, safely.” (Paragraph 14). I went to six flags and I went on a roller coaster which i've never been on and usually i'm scared of roller coasters but once I was on it, It was fun.
ReplyDeleteIn paragraph 30, the horses were being attacked by the wolves and they were starting to slow down because the wolves were attacking the horses necks causing them to slow down. This part of the story creates suspense because you never know if the horses will keep going or if its going to collapse because of the horses injuries.
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DeleteI agree with you. Adrenaline in this case is in a controlled and safe environment compared to if you were actually in a horror movie. I know for a fact when I go into haunted houses adrenaline kicks in before because I get scared but, at the end, the adrenaline is still there because it was exciting and fun
DeleteI liked your ideas on how the author describes why fear is fun, that people know they’re in a safe place and are aware that they will be okay and can enjoy themselves. I also liked the quote that you chose. I think it’s interesting that people may be able to practice being scared, by indulging in some of these activities, and that it can actually help to better prepare people for what may really scare them later on. I think the part you chose for suspensefulness was also a great idea. It was a very suspenseful part of the story.
DeleteI agree with your idea because a lot of people can confuse your adrenaline rush with being excited and feeling good but it is a normal bodily function so you think that you are having fun and/or scared so you can either get out of that situation or learn from at and maybe do it again.
DeleteI agree with you. Your first time doing something scary can be overwhelming, but the sense of accomplishment and rush of adrenaline can make you wanna do it again.
DeleteI agree with you that being scared is fun because of the adrenaline rush. I liked the quote you used explaining how people can practice being scared in a safe controlled environment.
DeleteI agree that fear gives you adrenaline and that if you aren't in any danger, then the situation can be fun for you.
DeletePart A: The way Dr. Margee Kerr answers the question; “how can being frightened be considered fun?” Is setting up an experiment by asking people who are about to enter a haunted house how they’re feeling and then asking them the same thing after they left the haunted house. I feel like this works because you can clearly see a change in the test subject’s moods. One time I was in a thrilling and frightening situation is when I had a big fear of hornets, bees and wasps and I found myself with my friend at his grandmother’s during the summer last year after my trip here in Wisconsin. Throwing rotten apples at a bald faced hornets nest. Funny thing is we missed all of our shots and so we grabbed the hose from the side of the house and pretended to be firefighters and sprayed down the nest while it started to swarm spray. Luckily for us we didn’t get stung and we managed to knock the nest with the help of my friend’s BB guns and a working hose.
ReplyDeletePart B: The part of the story that made me feel like there's the most suspense was when one of the characters was talking about using a bullet on themselves because he didn’t want to be mauled to death by wolves. The story would be fun to read if you were from a place with mountains and a tundra like area.
I agree with you, tricking people into thinking their in real danger stimulates their blood flow and overall jump starts their fight or flight reactions.. Also on part B, when the characters had a big choice to make, they only had a certain amount of time to make that decision or else it would have been to late.
DeletePart A - Dr. Kerr answers this question with this quote “Guests reported significantly higher mood, and felt less anxious and tired, directly after their trip through the haunted attraction. The more terrifying the better: feeling happy afterward was related to rating the experience as highly intense and scary. This set of volunteers also reported feeling that they’d challenged their personal fears and learned about themselves” (para. 10). I agree that you feel a sense of accomplishment and relief after experiencing fear and making it to “safety” or in this case the end of the haunted house. I have been in multiple frightening situations including haunted houses and extreme sports.
ReplyDeletePart B - What created the most suspense in “On a Mountain Trail” was that there was a “finish line” and as they closed in on that “finish line” the intensity increased because the wolves got more aggressive and more violent. Which in turn made the story more exciting and “fun” to read because you want to know if the riders make it or not. “But the respite this time was shorter than before. Once more our relentless foes gathered round us, silently, one by one. The wolves seemed to know as well as we, that time was short and escape lay not far away;” (Para. 23)
I agree with you that the part where they were almost to the town was pretty suspenseful. I personally did not think it was the most suspenseful part but it still high up there.
DeleteI agree, I think that the sense of accomplishment in the end is satisfying. I also think that making it to "safety" makes you feel relieved aside from the sense of accomplishment. This was also something I felt my first time going on a roller coaster and going to a haunted house.
DeleteIt is fun to be frightened because afterwards, you feel more alert and more awake in most cases. Especially in haunted houses, like Burial Chambers for example. I am not one for getting scared or watching a horror film but, when I went through, I had so much fun looking back and I wanted to go through the same attraction over and over again. Dr. Kerr answers the question by putting test subjects through emotional and cognitive tests before and after to see how people felt before and after the attraction. “Fun-scary experiences could serve as an in-the-moment recalibration of what registers as stressful and even provide a kind of confidence boost. After watching a scary movie or going through a haunted attraction, maybe everything else seems like no big deal in comparison. You rationally understand that the actors in a haunted house aren’t real, but when you suspend your disbelief and allow yourself to become immersed in the experience, the fear certainly can feel real, as does the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment when you make it through” I agree with Dr. Kerr’s analysis, because it is fun to get scared because after you realize none of that is real and gives you a sense of reassurance that everything was fake and nothing was gonna kill you
ReplyDeleteI think the part where the wolves start to emerge because in the beginning, it may seem like there is just a big monster but, it is just a huge pack of hungry wolves who spotted these horses as their next meal. “Then, out of the earth and the shadow of the bushes, the grim, dark forms seemed to rise on all sides of us. There was not a sound — not a snap nor a snarl; but in the gathering twilight of the February evening, we saw them moving noiselessly over the thin coat of snow which covered the ground. In the uncertain light, and moving as rapidly as we did, it was impossible to guess how many they were. An animal which was one moment in plain sight, running abreast of the horses, would, the next moment, be lost in the shadow of the bushes, while two more dark, silent forms would edge up to take its place. So, on both sides of us, they kept appearing and disappearing. In the rear, half a dozen jostled one another to push up nearer to the flying sleigh — a black mass that filled the whole width of the trail. Behind those again, others, less clearly visible, crossed and recrossed the roadway from side to side. They might be twenty in all — or thirty — or forty. It was impossible to tell.” (paragraph 6)
I liked your analysis on why fear can be a fun thing. I didn’t even think about the fact that when people are frightened they usually feel more alert and aware of what is going on, as you stated, and I thought that was very interesting to think about. I’ve also been to burial chambers and I thought it was a lot of fun as well! I also liked how you brought up rational thinking, and that when people are done with these types of experiences they can feel better about themselves because they know it’s not real and they wouldn’t actually be harmed.
DeleteI also liked the analysis based on if you enjoy or sometimes enjoy that feeling you would want to do it again because you know it will not hurt you and so you have the idea to do it again so you can get that high and feel a lot more than what you usually feel on a day to day basis
DeleteI like that you said that you feel more alert and awake after being scared because its really true and I think that makes being scared more fun because you are looking out for something else to happen.
DeleteI agree with you that is fun to be scared as like you I enjoy the feeling of being more alert and awake. However I find it hard to get this feeling as I know that haunted houses are fake so they hardly give me any form of adrenaline rush.
DeleteI found it fascinating that in the study, feeling happy, accomplished, and that they learned about themselves afterward is related to rating the experience as highly scary and intense. Because of this, Kerr states: “The more terrifying the better” (Kerr 2). Although this is true for things like haunted houses and roller coasters, It is definitely not correct for all cases of being scared.
DeleteI agree with the fact that afterwards you feel like you could do it all over again just for that natural "high", fear is fun not during, but after you get through it.
DeleteWhen people do things on purpose that they know will frighten them, they feel as if they have achieved or conquered something. When you get through that last corner in a haunted house, you feel as though you have gotten through it, and have achieved what some people may not be able to. I think that being frightened can be fun, I have gone through a haunted house before and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Dr. Margee Kerr answers this question by describing how people feel after they’ve come out of the frightening experience. A good example of this is when she states, “Guests reported significantly higher mood, and felt less anxious and tired, directly after their trip through the haunted attraction. The more terrifying the better: feeling happy afterward was related to rating the experience as highly intense and scary. This set of volunteers also reported feeling that they’d challenged their personal fears and learned about themselves.” The guests felt better after going through because they challenged themselves and won.
ReplyDeleteRobinson’s story was very suspenseful. The part I found the most suspenseful was when they ran out of bullets and were preparing the dynamite. This part states, “burned! Nursing it carefully with my hands, I blew upon the spark and kept it glowing as it ate its way slowly into the cotton. Why had I not made it shorter? Every moment I expected to feel the sudden jolt which told that the wolves had pulled down one of the horses and that the end had come! At last the dull red glow had almost reached the end of the cap. A few seconds more and it would explode. Thrusting the bundle hastily into another sack, forgetting even the wolves in my terror lest it should explode in my hands, I threw it with all my force into the midst of the moving forms abreast of the horses.” I thought this created a lot of suspense because the character is holding the explosive because he wants it to be timed perfectly, but he could also accidentally wait too long and blow himself up. Some people enjoy reading suspenseful things, it creates a fear in themself and they want to see where it goes. I do enjoy this effect as well, but I didn’t really enjoy it as much in this short story.
People find it fun to be frightened because it give people an adrenaline rush allowing for them to feel excited and happy after the effects if it is in a controlled environment. Dr. Margee Kerr holds an experiment at a haunted house about what people think before going in and how they feel after they come out to find a reason why people like haunted houses and being scared. I think in the standpoint of being scared that people can enjoy it in scientific terms based on the fight-or-flight mechanism in the brain but I feel neither happy or sad/angry about the idea because I have a lesser reaction to a lot of those scares. “Together our findings suggest that going through an extreme haunted attraction provides gains similar to choosing to run a 5K race or tackling a difficult climbing wall. There’s a sense of uncertainty, physical exertion, a challenge to push yourself.”
ReplyDeleteIn the short story the first time they get back on the hunt I think is the best and biggest part “But even as the hope was forming itself in my mind, I became aware of a dim, gray thing moving beside me. A moment later another appeared, close by the horses’ heads, and behind us the trail was again full of the jostling pack.” This part they just got rid of one for the whole pack to fall back to eat and move on, once the chase was back on the wolves got more ferocious and new what they had to do to try and stop them so they could eventually have the meal that they desired.
ReplyDeleteI think it is fun to be frightened because it gives you a rush and after being scared, it can put you in a better mood. Dr. Margee Kerr answers this question by looking into how people feel before going into a haunted house and how they feel after the experience. She found that people were often happy and in a higher mood after going through the haunted house, “Guests reported significantly higher mood, and felt less anxious and tired, directly after their trip through the haunted attraction.” She also stated that going through fun-scary experiences can actually be like practicing for situations that may be fearful. I do agree with all of this because many people do things intentionally to scare themselves and you usually see people laughing and smiling after they’ve been scared.
I believe the part of the story that created the most suspense was the part where the narrator was describing the figures in the dark as the wolves seemed to appear and disappear because it leaves you wondering when they will strike. “...the ghostlike forms glided patiently alongside — appearing, disappearing, and reappearing. The silent pertinacity2 with which, apparently making no effort, they kept pace beside the flying horses was horrible. Even a howl or a yelp or a growl would have been a relief. But not so much as the sound of their footfalls on the snow was to be heard.” I think this is fun to read because it puts you in the shoes of someone that is experiencing something that may not happen often and it keeps you waiting to see what happens next.
At times i feel your right fear can be fun but i feel that even if it is fun theres still a part of the brain that wants to activate fight or flight
DeleteI feel the same way, the "rush" you get from fear is a majority of the fun, and I agree that you get put in a better mood after being scared.
DeletePart A: It's fun to be frightened because thanks to the research done by Margee Kerr, we know that being scared helps to decrease stress us and allows for us to relax. "You rationally understand that the actors in a haunted house aren’t real, but when you suspend your disbelief and allow yourself to become immersed in the experience, the fear certainly can feel real, as does the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment when you make it through."I enjoy being scared as I like going to haunted houses.
ReplyDeletePart B:: "But it was too late now. Five shots out of the six were spent, and twenty minutes yet must pass before we could reach the camp. And even while these few words were being said the pack was close upon us again. Fiercer now, and more determined than ever to make an end of it, they crowded around." This created the most suspense as it resulted in a feeling that they might not make it.
even though it was resurrected i feel for some people that the fear could actually be more stressful
DeleteI agree that being scared helps decrease stress and allows us to relax. People intentionally watch or put themselves into scary situations because afterword they feel a lot better.
DeleteI feel fear is fun because of the adrenaline and close to death feeling and after the feeling of wow I just did that. Margee kerr shows this because of her haunted house experience. people who went in came out feeling happy and satisfied that they over came one of there fears or one of the things they have always wanted to do. "You rationally understand that the actors in a haunted house aren’t real, but when you suspend your disbelief and allow yourself to become immersed in the experience, the fear certainly can feel real, as does the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment when you make it through".
ReplyDeleteI feel the most suspenseful part of the story is when there ridding horses and the wolves are found when they were thinking it was something bigger and more dangerous. not saying wolves are not dangerous but something more like a bear or another wild animal.
I always believed it was fun to be scared because of the adrenaline rush. I have always felt more awake and alert after a good scare at haunted houses or while watching horror movies.. Dr. Margee Kerr believes it's deeper than that. She explained this when she said “highly intense and scary activities — at least in a controlled environment like this haunted attraction — may “shut down” the brain to an extent, and that in turn is associated with feeling better.” I agree with her because she explained how after being in a scary environment most people felt happier.
ReplyDeleteI think the most suspenseful part was when they were running out of bullets. “But it was too late now. Five shots out of the six were spent, and twenty minutes yet must pass before we could reach the camp. And even while these few words were being said the pack was close upon us again. Fiercer now, and more determined than ever to make an end of it, they crowded around.” This part was very suspenseful because the reader has no idea what's going to happen next. It's fun to read stories that are unpredictable and makes you ask questions throughout the story.
It’s fun to be frightened because people like the natural high or being scared and they think it’s fun. She answered the question by surveying people who just came out of a haunted house and they “reported significantly higher mood, and felt less anxious and tired, directly after their trip through the haunted attraction.” I agree with this because being scared activates your fight and flight response and that pumps a lot of adrenaline into your body, making you feel less anxious and tired.
ReplyDeleteI think that part of the story that created the most suspense was when Jack was trying to get the fuse lit and how he tried to speed up the fuse by blowing on it to make it go faster. The sticks of dynamite was the last thing they had that they could use against the wolf pack and if it didn’t work then they probably would’ve died before they made it to the town. It might be fun to read because for some people it activates your fight or flight response and gives your body a lot of adrenaline, giving you that natural high of being scared.
I disagree because it isn't just the adrenaline that "makes fear fun" it is also the feeling of accomplishment after overcoming fear that can make fear fun.
DeleteI disagree. I do not think it is exciting at all to be scared. Especially when I have anxiety.
ReplyDeleteNone of the "scary" parts were fun to read.
i think it depends on the person and they type of scare that make it fun or terrifying because when it comes to haunted houses i find it fun yet when it come to real fear i find it scary.
DeletePart: A Its fun to be frightened because it gives you an adrenaline rush and it gets your blood rushing. Dr. Margee Kerr on the other hand thinks there is more than just doing it for fun. Her studies show that “Guests reported significantly higher mood, and felt less anxious and tired, directly after their trip” I believe this is an interesting finding because I never really thought about how I felt after I went to a haunted house.
ReplyDeletePART: B The thing that created the most suspense for me was when they ran out of bullets “And I knew that he was in earnest. I knew also that he was right; that it would be better to die than to be torn to pieces by that snarling, hungry crew.” one of them considered dying rather than being killed by the wolves.
I believe this is fun to read because it kept me on my feet waiting to see what happened next
I agree with your part A because it definitely did bring more of an awareness to what is actually going on after you experience a haunted house or other stuff that makes people feel these ways.
DeleteI think being frightened is fun because of the adrenaline rush you get from it. Dr. Margee Kerr says that humans like to be frightened so afterwards they feel a sense of accomplishment from it if they make it all the way through whatever they're going through. I do agree with what he said because whenever I go through haunted houses or ride a roller coaster I always feel better about myself afterwards because I made it through without wimping out. In the video he says “The fear feels real. So when we make it through alive, the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment also feels real.” I used this quote because it explains how you feel when you go through a haunted house because you know it's fake but your body says it's real. That's why when you make it through alive you get the sense of accomplishment when you make it out alive.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the story I thought was the most suspenseful was “Something had to be done, and with some vague hope, I fired the last shot from the revolver into the dark circle which already surrounded the plunging horses. The shot had its effect, for one of the brutes leaped into the air with a yelp and fell backward into the bushes.” I thought this was fun to read because it was his final shot and he took a big risk by shooting it but knowing he did the right thing makes it amazing that he thought to do that. I thought this was fun to read because even though I was just reading the story it made me feel like I could see what was happening and it made me feel like I was a part of the story. That is fun to me because I got an adrenaline rush just from reading that part of the story.
I think that being frightened is fun because not just the adrenaline rush but because you know what you are frightened by and what you are not. I feel like when I watch scary movies or even go to hunted houses I always so aware that anything can happen in life and they might be scary but they last for a certain amount that you'll forget about it in no time. Dr. Margee Kerr said “highly intense and scary activities at least in a controlled environment like this haunted attraction may “shut down” the brain to an extent, and that in turn is associated with feeling better.” I feel like she has a good point because some people do feel accomplished for what they did and how they got through it.
ReplyDeleteI feel that in the story what had the most suspense was when it was talking about how they ran out of bullets and they didn't know what to do because they didn't want to get killed by wolfs. because they began to get more aggressive.
Part A- According to Dr. Margee Kerr fear is fun because of the release of certain chemicals, and emotions that build a sense of accomplishment in certain situations when fear is overcome. “Together our findings suggest that going through an extreme haunted attraction provides gains similar to choosing to run a 5K race or tackling a difficult climbing wall. There’s a sense of uncertainty, physical exertion, a challenge to push yourself — and eventually achievement when it’s over and done with. (keer.2.)” The combination of these emotions that cause fear are little to no different than the same emotions you feel doing something “new” or something you are uncertain about. I agree because I have had countless situations where I have been taken out of my comfort zone, which caused me to be uncertain and fearful. Most of these situations were never as bad as my uncertainty made them to be.
ReplyDeletePart B- The most suspenseful moment of “On a mountain Trail” by Herry Robinson is probably the moment when the wolves were first coming out of the shadows in the woods. The author does a great job of describing the scenery and creating a sense of uncertainty in the reader. “Then, out of the earth and the shadow of the bushes, the grim, dark forms seemed to rise on all sides of us. There was not a sound — not a snap nor a snarl; but in the gathering twilight of the February evening, we saw them moving noiselessly over the thin coat of snow which covered the ground. In the uncertain light, and moving as rapidly as we did, it was impossible to guess how many they were.”(Robinson.2)