In 1984, Winston experiences a life-changing event that is created by the power of fear. In the novel, Winston gives up something to avoid and free himself of the one thing he fears the most: rats. Think about it. Fear can govern our lives. You have read Chomsky’s article that acknowledges that one of the most overpowering emotions of Americans….is fear.
Think about your own experiences. What fearful event have you endured that made you change a little bit of who you are…something that’s made you give up your “freedom” in some way….something that has restricted you in some small (or large) way.
The task: First describe what fearful experience you have had. Use active language and appropriate word choices to make your readers FEEL your experience. Don’t tell us about it; SHOW US. Explain what really changed you in some way. The event doesn’t have to be life-threatening; it just has to be something that you “own.” The length should be a well-written, smoothly developed INVIGORATING paragraph that will MESMERIZE your audience (your class members and me). Explain HOW the event changed you in some small way. Like Winston, explain how you have sacrificed a little of yourself because of this event.
Then, read two other blog posts and respond to those two blog posts genuinely and thoughtfully. Do you have similar experiences (Are you, too, afraid of RATS??!!)
Due date: Friday, October 13, 2017 by 11:59pm.
Points 20 (10 for description, 5 for each response.)
"All the World's a Stage..." (Shakespeare, As You Like It) 
My biggest fear is not succeeding in life. I’ve always wanted to turn out like my parents, and having the idea in the back of my head that I maybe won’t succeed either in college or in today’s society scares me. I feel like my work ethic is much different than my parents when it comes to matters such as schooling, as I tend to be more lackadaisical. I think to get over this fear as I grow up, I would need to take studying and notes more seriously and not think of school as just some annoyance. In conclusion, I think that growing up to be a failure in society is my worst fear.
Fear is not something that has affected my life very much. I do not fear many things but, i do have one and that is losing a loved one. Over the past two years that fear i did not know i had as come out. It has affected my life severely because i do not know how to handle it. I am sure you can do things to help accept it but, i am too stubborn to try anything. I do not think i am the only person with this fear its just not as common has someone who is afraid of snakes.
Chris, i’m glad that you’re expressing this fear as I feel it will be beneficial in working through it. Although your fear is unique in such a way that a death of a loved one could be something you would never want to work through. Grief isn’t always necessarily a bad thing, as it helps you reduce the impact of the lost love one and cope with the loss more efficiently. Thank you for sharing this Chris! ❤