Danger Of Fear Essay

In times of the Great Depression, fear is a constant danger to the society and could ultimately lead to hardship and despair. Therefore on March 4, 1933 President Franklin D. Roosevelt had once stated to the American people, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” to express his belief and warned them about the danger of the feeling of fear in times of the Great Depression. Roosevelt believed that one should only fear the feeling of fear, because fear could consume the individual mind and drive them to suffering. Although one would respect our former president’s believe, the fact about fear, as proven by “Duffy’s Jacket,” “Rikki-tikki-tavi,” and “Stepping It Up,” is not limited to just fearing fear itself. Fearing other fears is also essential to everyday life. As proven by the three stories, fearing other fears can ultimately benefit an individual mentally, physically, and emotionally; therefore essentially influencing my decision to disagree with President Franklin D. Roosevelt belief about only fearing fear itself.

The selection, “Duffy’s Jacket” had proven that Roosevelt quote as invalid through mentally changing Duffy when he faces his fear of the

Roosevelt quote, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” because of the stories “Duffy Jacket” and “Rikki-tikki-tavi” as well as the article “Stepping It Up”. “Duffy Jacket” have proven how fearing something else beside fear itself is beneficial by showing how fearing the Sentinel could scare away Duffy’s forgetfulness. Also, Rikki from “Rikki-tikki-tavi” have gain newfound strength when he faces his fear of the cobras. Last but not least, Anthony from “Stepping It Up” is emotionally braver when he faces his fear of public humiliation. All in all, I believe that President Franklin D. Roosevelt quote, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” is invalid by the support of “Duffy Jacket”, “Rikki-tikki-tavi”,and “Stepping It