Synthesis Essay On Fear

One of the most controversial topics of the century hinges on one simple question: What makes the world go round? Most will jump to say money. Some will argue in favor of their religion. Others will point out scientific facts. The truth is, none are correct. One emotion, one aspect of life shines above the others, extending its light on merely half of our beloved globe, leaving the other semi-circle to deal with pitch black: fear. To understand its impact, society’s definition of fear must be perceived. Fear is officially defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something dangerous will harm him/her. However, with his classic novel, Alan Paton shows that it extends far beyond that. An old man by the name of Stephen Kumalo leaves the comfort of his tribe in Ndotsheni, and embarks on a

journey to the infamous Johannesburg alongside his trusty companion, Msimangu, to unravel the mysteries of the whereabouts of his siblings and son. There, he goes through events and experiences emotions that he’s never felt before, making room for a different version of himself that he didn’t know existed.

One of the most complex emotions in existence, fear is the primary emotion that triggers any kind of change, as it is capable of linking with any existing emotion to create entirely different lives upon lives. For any change that happens, fear is always present to turn the tide whichever way it pleases.
One of the primary causes of fear that leads to change is the lack, loss, and gain of power. Shortly after Stephen Kumalo learns that his son, Absalom, murdered Arthur Jarvis, Kumalo is horrified and approaches Msimangu for support and advice. Even upon doing so, Kumalo is thoroughly shaken, with only one thought in his head at the moment, “What broke in a man when he could bring himself to kill one another? What broke when he could bring himself to thrust down the knife into warm flesh, to bring down the axe on the living head, to cleave between the searing eyes, to shoot the gun that would drive death into the beating heart?” (79). In his questioning of “what [breaks] in a man” to trigger cold-blooded murder, Kumalo is face-to-face with a direct product of a

multitude of emotions, one of the primary ones being mind-numbing disbelief. The fact that it is none other than his very own son, whom he brought up with a certain set of values, makes the mere concept of the murder even more difficult for him to wrap his mind around. Kumalo repeatedly emphasizes that there must be something to cause a “break” in a man, and there is no stronger emotion capable of that very feat than fear. When a life is taken, emotions have to be running high, and more often than not, the motive for murder is fear of the loss of power and/or control. Further expanding upon the very murder that Kumalo is shaken about, the situation consists of the fact that Absalom shoots Jarvis out of fright, as he thought that no one was home. Thus, when Absalom enters Jarvis’s home, he assumes that he had all of the power, and that he is be able to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted at that very moment. But upon finding that a resident is still present, Absalom, in a fit of realizing that his power could be relinquished to one man, pulls the trigger of his gun out of fear for the man that challenges his power by standing before him. The fear is not of Arthur Jarvis, himself, but of what he represents in Absalom’s mind, which is the sink that drains away all of the control that he thought he had. This simple thought is what “broke” whatever values that were instilled in Absalom, causing him to pull the trigger. A recurring theme throughout the novel is Kumalo trying to cast away what he thinks are the influences of Johannesburg on his politically corrupt brother, John. He continues to seek him out, not only trying to stop his corruption, but to try to understand what had happened to the brother that he thought he once knew. Several times in the book, he meets up with his brother with a certain motive, “He had come to tell his brother that power corrupts, that a man who fights for justice must himself be cleansed and purified, that love is greater than force. And none of these things had he done… He turned to the door, but it was locked and bolted. Brother had shut out brother, from the same womb had they come.” (57) At first glance, the fact that Kumalo resents his brother’s corruption stands out significantly. In addition, it is apparent that, as Kumalo believes “power corrupts”, power is the predominant source of the problem with John. Kumalo believes that as long as the need for power is present in John, he will need to be “cleansed and purified”, and this very fact inspires fear within Kumalo, who is not sure whether his brother can ever return to being the man he used to be in Ndotsheni. This fact reaffirms his resentment for John. However, it is known that there used to be a different John, one that Kumalo knew and loved, and it is implied that something other than Johannesburg’s influences had to have triggered his corruption. While growing up in Johannesburg, John had to have gone through experiences with and without power; he had to have tasted it so he would gradually develop a need for it. The developed need reaches a point where what John cares about the most is his power and influence, and the mere thought of being without it frightens him to the core. Provided here is the real reason of his move to Johannesburg - for greater opportunities to quench his thirst for power, and to tame the fire lit by his deep fear of being without it. In the novel, there were quite a few characters that expressed their thoughts on power and fear in intricate, powerful ways. In the words of Father Vincent, “When the storm threatens, a man is afraid for his house. But when the house is destroyed, there is something to do. About a storm he can do nothing, but he can rebuild a house,” (98). With this metaphor, Father Vincent essentially embodies the entire concept of power and fear. When people with influence like John that have power which is threatened, they fear for what has essentially built their personalities, their shelter, and their lives, as the metaphor references. However, what they do not realize is that power can always be built up again, influence can always be garnered again, and can reach lengths that they never have before, even after the initial destruction. There is always potential for them to get better, but the corrupt people of Johannesburg instead focus all of their thoughts, and dedicate all of their lives to their power to “change” Johannesburg, without realizing that what they’re changing the most is themselves.
With change and fear involved, society is bound to be affected by escalating emotions which evolve to an even bigger commodity. In the story, a recurring theme is Msimangu comforting Kumalo, reassuring and teaching him various elements about life. One saying from Msimangu to Kumalo was particularly striking: “For it is the dawn that has come, as it has come for a thousand centuries, never failing. But when that dawn will come, of our emancipation, from the fear of bondage and the bondage of fear, why, that is a secret,” (312). Msimangu refers to the “dawn” as essentially the natives’ sanctuary, in which they’ll overcome the one emotion that’s plaguing both sides: fear. With the quote encapturing the “fear of bondage” and the “bondage of fear”, and interlinking it with the emancipation, it shows the level that fear holds society and societal change within its firm control. It is clear that Msimangu has absolutely no idea of when this will finally be overcome, and this is exactly how the rest of the natives living in Johannesburg feel. Without the knowledge of when, or even if their emancipation will come through, they get covered with a blanket of fear, which leads to other strategies. Another recurring theme throughout the novel is the violence brought about by the natives to the white men. While somewhat justifiable, the violence reaches a point where it has become too much. “The white man has broken the tribe. And it is my belief—and again I ask your pardon—that it cannot be mended again. But the house that is broken, and the man that falls apart when the house is broken, these are the tragic things. That is why children break the law, and old white people are robbed and beaten,” (59). What Msimangu is explaining to Kumalo is essentially ‘Violence in Johannesburg for Dummies’. From the quote, it’s clear that Msimangu blames the white men for the violence. By saying “but that house is broken, and the man falls apart…”, he implies that fear is the primary cause of all the violence, and is what “breaks” in the black man upon the realization that the white men will not budge. The natives’ fear comes from the fact that their tribes are being overrun, and society will never be the same for them. Even so, Msimangu says that the violence reaches an apex that extends far beyond what the intention should be. The extent of the violence shows the magnitude of the fear inspired by the unwanted change of the tribe. As the novel transitions from Kumalo to James Jarvis’s point of view, Jarvis is overrun with grief due to the murder of his son. When Jarvis goes to the place of his death - his son’s house, he finds a rather lengthy manuscript that Arthur seemed to have put the majority of his time into. Already enlightened by the musings of the son that he thought he knew, one part, the ending, particularly strikes him. In the final musings of Arthur Jarvis, “The truth is that our civilization is not Christian; it is a tragic compound of great ideal and fearful practice, of high assurance and desperate anxiety, of loving charity and fearful clutching of possessions. Allow me a minute. . . ,” (138). Arthur Jarvis here proves that he is ahead of his time. He expresses his knowledge of the supposedly “Christian” society, and with his words, is essentially saying that the way society goes about life is largely influenced by fear. By the mentioning of “high assurance and desperate anxiety, of loving charity and fearful clutching of possessions”, Arthur insinuates that fear is what makes up the building blocks of the foundation for society in South Africa. The people that build up society are indeed changing it, whether for better or for worse, all due to fear of their homes never being what they once used to because of white supremacy. In addition, Arthur’s writings prove that fear interlinks with every single facet of society through every emotion at hand, as its complete rule over society can’t be without the fluctuating emotions of the people, black and white. The black’s violence inevitably influences the white people’s fear, and it is this, coupled with the natives’ fear of their own, that truly changes society, and molds it into the “tragic compound of great ideal and fearful practice.” (138).
Ultimately, what Alan Paton wants society to understand is that fear is a weapon of such power that it can be wielded by no man. Man does not control fear, rather, fear controls man, pushing every single button inside the brain at its leisure, triggering explosions as large as supernovas, and as small as any that have ever existed. However, Paton teaches us that while fear is what it is, the buffer for fear is one’s mind. Fear may not be able to be controlled, but it can always be maintained; society must learn to know exactly when to let fear take over, and also maintain it in such a way that it does not trigger the wrong emotions. On this Earth, the inevitable cannot be prevented. One half will always be darker than the other, but the darker half will rest peacefully knowing that soon, it’ll shine as brightly as it ever has, continuing the circle of life as the right half.