Im Not Scared Essay Example
Im Not Scared Essay Example

Im Not Scared Essay Example

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  • Pages: 2 (497 words)
  • Published: August 31, 2018
  • Type: Essay
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Michele, among others, experiences fear as helicopters search the hamlet and its surroundings for the boy. The villagers admit they are close to being caught by the police. "The grown-ups stayed at Salvatore's house all evening... They were shouting so loudly that they woke us up. We had become accustomed to various things. Nighttime meetings, noise, loud voices, broken plates, but now they were shouting excessively." Thus, it is evident that fears are ever-present in every corner of Acqua Traverse, despite their fluctuating intensity.

Dorothy Thompson once stated that fear is the most destructive element in the human mind, as it leads to aggressiveness. In the case of the villagers of Acqua Traverse, their fears not only make them more belligerent and inhumane but also impair their ability to think and act rationally. Even Papa, who usually treats his c

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hildren with care and tenderness, reveals a vicious side when negotiations break down, as indicated by his making a scissors sign with his fingers and threatening to cut off two ears.

Papa's instruction to wash before sharing a kiss is no longer heard by the readers. Instead, a cruel figure, referred to as a "bogeyman," emerges and takes children to sell them to gypsies. Eventually, Papa tries to mend the psychological harm he has caused Michele. Perhaps Michele hopes that these occurrences are just temporary lapses. Unfortunately, due to poverty and the resulting anxieties, the villagers undergo drastic changes from their former selves.

Contrasting with others, Michele has a constructive approach to facing fears and understanding the world around him. As the story progresses, Michele's fears increase and his innocence gradually disappears. However, he manage

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to handle these fears in a more mature and rational manner compared to the adults. In summary, fear plays a significant role in the novel 'I'm not Scared', stemming from the poverty experienced by the village residents.

Throughout the story, the intensity of the plot in Acqua Travers varies, and this is mirrored in the degree of fear experienced by its inhabitants. Niccolo Ammanity skillfully uses fear to showcase the mindset of the villagers and to create a striking contrast with the novel's protagonist, Michele. Despite appearing mundanely, life in Acqua Travers is merely a facade. Once night falls, this facade crumbles, revealing a dark underworld of criminals, unimaginably atrocious acts, shattered relationships and beliefs, and utter inhumanity. In this world, fears prevail.

The remnants of love and loyalty vanish completely when the 'evil gleam' appears, and loyalty completely collapses. Michele chooses Filippo over his father because of Filippo's moral values and sense of justice. Michele's loyalty to his family is shown in various ways: he takes care of his sister by holding her hand and going home together, he meekly obeys his mother, and he fiercely defends her when she is attacked by Felice. Initially, his loyalty compelled him to constantly look for reasons why his parents were not involved in the kidnapping of Filippo.

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