Fear by Guy
de Maupassant
Introduction
“Fear” is a psychological short
story by French writer Guy de Maupassant, known for his realistic and
insightful portrayal of human emotions.
The story explores
different kinds of fear — physical, instinctive, and psychological — and shows
that true fear is mental rather than physical.
Maupassant uses a frame
narrative, where one story is told within another.
The story “Fear” begins on a ship where passengers talk about things that frightened them. A sunburned man disagrees with others and explains that real fear is different from ordinary danger — it is a deep, mysterious feeling that comes from the unknown.
He tells two experiences from his life:
In the desert of Ouargla, he and his companions heard a strange drum sound with no clear source. The endless silence, the heat, and a companion’s sudden death filled him with a terrible inner fear.
In a forest in France, he stayed with a guard haunted by guilt for killing a poacher. That night, they heard strange noises, and the guard, thinking it was the ghost, shot his own dog by mistake.
2️⃣
Setting
The story is set on a boat,
where a group of men are talking at night.
The calm, quiet setting
contrasts with the intense subject of fear.
Summary
of the story
The
story takes the form of a framed narrative: a group of travellers aboard a ship
bound for Africa are conversing on the deck, under a calm moon, when one of
them recounts his experiences of real “fear”.
a) The conversation opens
The captain says: “Yes, I was afraid that day –
my ship remained for six hours with that rock in its belly… beaten by the sea…”
Then another man, large, tanned, with serious
expression, speaks: he challenges the captain’s claim of fear. He insists that true
fear is not what one feels in battle or certain death, but in
abnormal, vague, mysterious circumstances.
b) The first episode in Africa
The narrator (the tanned man) says: “I
perceived fear… in broad daylight, about ten years ago. I felt it again last
winter…”
He describes traversing the great southern
dunes of Ouargla (Algeria) with two friends, eight Spahis, and four camels.
It’s a vast hostile desert landscape: endless waves of sand, burning sun,
relentless climbs and descents.
Suddenly one of their men cries out; they stop.
They hear, from somewhere vague, a drum beating — the “mysterious drum of the
dunes”. The Arabs around interpret it: “Death is upon us”. Meanwhile one of the
narrator’s companions collapses from sunstroke.
While trying to tend to his companion, the
narrator feels true fear creeping over him:
“Facing that beloved cadaver, in that hole… burned by the sun… two hundred
leagues from any French village… while the unknown echo threw us … the rapid
beats of a drum.”
The narrator later explains that the drum sound
may have been a mirage of sound — an echo, or sand grains colliding etc. But at
the time he didn’t know; the fear came nonetheless.
c) The second episode in France
The narrator describes another experience: one
winter, in a forest in north‐east France. It is night, dark, windy, stormy. He
and a peasant guide go to a forest ranger’s house for supper & sleep. The
father of the house had killed a poacher two years prior and ever since seemed
haunted.
On arrival, the father with his rifle, two
strong lads with axes guard the door; two women crouch in a corner. The father
says: “Last year, he returned to call to me. I am listening for him again
tonight.”
The storm lashings, the darkness, the dog’s
howls combine to create dread. The dog wakes, howls, raises its head, hair
bristling, fixates on something invisible. The guard cries: “He scents him! He
was there when I killed him.” Women scream. The narrator feels a great shiver.
Then something moves outside: a creature glides
along the outer wall, scratches at the door, a white head with luminous animal
eyes appears in the peephole window; then at a rifle shot in the kitchen, the
dog lies dead, skull shattered. They stay until dawn, paralyzed by fear. The
narrator concludes: though he was in many dangers before, the sole minute of
the rifle shot at the bearded head at the peephole was worse than any
life-threatening event.
2.
Themes and analysis
Fear vs Danger
Maupassant draws a careful distinction between danger
(known, obvious, immediate threat) and fear (vague, mysterious,
unknown). The narrator argues that “when one is brave … one does not
feel fear in the face of sure death or known danger”.
True fear arises in “certain abnormal
circumstances, under certain mysterious influences, in the face of vague
risks.”
The Unknown & the Unseen
In both episodes, what terrifies is not an
identifiable foe but something ambiguous: a drum beating from nowhere, the
shifting dunes; a creeping sound, a white head in the peephole. The unknown
provokes the deepest terror.
The effect is psychological: the narrator is
safe, technically, yet experiences fear more intense than any “real” danger.
Environment as Amplifier of Fear
In the desert scene: vast, barren, blazing sun,
nothing but sand — that extreme setting heightens the feeling of isolation and
vulnerability.
In the forest scene: dark, stormy night, the
howling wind, enclosed cabin guarded by fearful men — the physical setting
mirrors internal dread.
The Role of Suggestion & Collective Fear
The Arabs in the desert interpret the drum as
“Death is upon us” — cultural reading of an inexplicable phenomenon amplifies
fear.
In the cabin: the family has its own legend
about the killed poacher returning; this anticipation primes everyone for fear.
Fear, in this sense, is contagious.
Psychological Depth
The narrator has faced real dangers — battle,
being thrown into the sea, etc — yet those did not provoke “fear” in his sense.
His fear now is more subtle, internal: uncertainty, the “spectre” of something.
Maupassant suggests fear is more profound when
it doesn’t have a rational cause.
3.
Structure and Style
First‐person narrator, telling stories within a
conversation. This layering creates distance but also immediacy: we hear the narrator’s
introspection.
Vivid descriptive imagery: the sea, the moon,
the dunes, the forest. These sensory details build mood. For example: “the vast
boat glided on … a great serpent of black smoke … behind us, the pure white
water … seeming to writhe … that the light of the moon simmered.”
Use of contrast: the calm sea and the foaming
propeller; daylight vs. night; known versus unknown.
Use of suspense: The reader is drawn into
situations that appear ordinary but shift into the uncanny.
Minimal explanation: The drum and the creature
are never fully explained — the ambiguity intensifies fear.
4. Significance and Interpretation
The story shows Maupassant’s interest in
psychological horror: not just external monsters, but internal dread.
It reflects 19th-century sensibilities:
colonial settings (Africa), the exotic desert; French rural life; superstitions
and the unknown.
It links to Maupassant’s larger themes of the
uncanny, of the supernatural boundary: for instance in his other work Le Horla.
It invites readers to reflect: When do we
feel real fear? Is it only when we face death, or when we confront the unknown
within ourselves?
5. Key Quotes
“Fear — and the boldest of men can feel fear …
it’s a dreadful thing, an atrocious sensation, a sort of decomposition of the
soul…”
“That very day, although I was not in any
danger; I would rather go again through all the hours in which I was in the
most terrible danger, than the sole minute of the rifle shot at the bearded
head at the peephole.”
PLOT OF
“FEAR”
1.
Introduction (The Frame Story)
The
story begins on a ship bound for Africa.
A group of passengers and the captain are sitting on the deck under the
moonlight, talking about their past adventures and the things that frightened
them.
The captain
tells a story about a time when his ship hit a rock and was nearly wrecked. He
says that he was terrified.
However,
one of the passengers — a tall, sunburned, serious man —
disagrees. He says that the captain was not really afraid, but only in
danger.
He begins to explain that real fear is something very
different — a deep, inner terror that comes from the
unknown and the mysterious, not from visible threats.
This
conversation sets the theme and begins the frame narrative (a story inside
a story).
2. First
Story: Fear in the Desert (North Africa)
The
tanned man recounts his first experience of true fear.
He
tells how he and two friends, accompanied by eight Arab
Spahis (soldiers) and four camels, were crossing the desert
of Ouargla in southern Algeria.
The sun was burning, the landscape empty, the silence endless — only sand and
sky.
Suddenly,
one of the Arabs cried out, and they all stopped.
They heard a strange, rhythmic sound — a drum beating from somewhere far away,
but no one could see where it came from.
The
Arabs became frightened. They said it was the drum of death — a bad omen.
Soon after, one of the men collapsed and died of sunstroke.
As
they buried him under the scorching sun, the narrator felt something he had
never felt before — real, deep fear.
He was far from home, surrounded by death and mystery, hearing a sound that no
one could explain.
He later learned that the sound might have been caused by vibrations
of sand grains or echoes, but at the moment, he believed it was
supernatural.
This
was his first taste of true fear — the fear born from mystery
and uncertainty, not from real danger.
3.
Second Story: Fear in the Forest (Northern France)
The
tanned man continues with another experience — his second encounter with true
fear.
One winter
night, he was travelling through a forest
in northern France with a peasant guide.
They decided to spend the night at a forest guard’s cabin deep
inside the woods.
When
they arrived, they found the guard and his family in a strange state of terror:
The guard held a loaded rifle,
His two sons stood ready with axes,
His wife and daughter sat
frightened in a corner.
The
guard explained that two years earlier he had killed a poacher.
Ever since, on the same night each year, he believed the dead
man’s ghost came back and called his name from outside the
cabin.
As
the storm raged outside, the wind howled, and the trees creaked, the narrator
also began to feel uneasy.
Suddenly, the dog by the fireplace stood up,
growling and staring at the door.
The guard whispered, “He knows — he was here when I killed the man.”
Everyone
froze. Then something scratched at the door. A moment
later, a white head with glowing eyes
appeared at the window.
The guard fired his gun immediately.
When
they opened the door, they found the dog dead, its skull shattered.
The guard had shot his own animal, mistaking it for the ghost.
They
sat in silence until morning, paralyzed by fear — not of the ghost, but of the unknown
horror of the night.
4. Conclusion
(Return to the Ship Scene)
After
finishing his two stories, the tanned man concludes that:
He
has faced many real dangers — war, storms, wild animals — but none gave him
fear like these two moments.
He
says that real fear is a psychological experience,
not a physical one.
It happens when the mind faces something mysterious that it cannot explain or
control.
The
story ends quietly, with the listeners on the ship reflecting on his words —
and on the idea that the most terrifying thing is the unknown.
STRUCTURE
OF “FEAR”
Guy
de Maupassant uses a frame narrative and two
internal stories to build suspense and develop his theme step
by step.
1. Frame
Narrative (Outer Structure)
The opening and closing scenes take
place on the ship.
This frame gives the reader a calm, safe
environment that contrasts sharply with the terrifying events inside the
narrator’s stories.
The conversation about “what is real fear”
introduces the philosophical idea that the
story explores.
Purpose:
To set the mood, create realism, and prepare the reader for deeper
psychological reflection.
2.
Embedded Story 1 — The Desert Episode
The first inner story is set in North
Africa.
It focuses on natural and environmental fear
— the vastness, heat, silence, and mysterious sounds of the desert.
It represents the fear of
nature and the unknown world.
Structure of this episode:
Introduction of the journey
The strange drum sound
The death of a traveler
The narrator’s feeling of isolation and terror
Reflection on the cause (scientific or
supernatural)
3.
Embedded Story 2 — The Forest Episode
The second inner story takes place
in a French
forest.
It focuses on psychological and supernatural fear
— guilt, imagination, and darkness.
It represents the fear of the human mind itself.
Structure of this episode:
Arrival at the cabin
Description of the fearful family
Explanation of the poacher’s ghost story
The dog’s reaction and the mysterious
scratching
The shooting and tragic discovery
Reflection on true fear
4. The
Ending (Return to Reality)
The story closes by returning to the ship
scene.
The narrator ends his talk with a calm
philosophical tone, explaining that true fear is born from uncertainty.
The calm sea and moonlight again contrast with
the storm and desert — showing that fear lives in the mind, not in the world
around us.
STRUCTURAL
FEATURES (For Exam Answers)
|
Feature |
Explanation |
Effect
/ Purpose |
|
Frame
Narrative |
Story begins and ends on a ship |
Adds realism and contrast |
|
Two
Inner Stories |
Desert and forest episodes |
Show two kinds of fear — natural
& psychological |
|
Chronological
Order |
Each story told in sequence |
Easy to follow; builds tension
gradually |
|
Contrast
of Settings |
Hot desert vs. cold forest |
Highlights that fear can exist
anywhere |
|
First-person
Narration |
Narrator tells his own experiences |
Makes the fear personal and
believable |
|
Descriptive
Imagery |
Vivid sights and sounds |
Creates atmosphere of mystery and
tension |
|
Philosophical
Ending |
Reflection on nature of fear |
Gives deeper meaning beyond
storytelling |
Summary
(For Quick Revision)
Type of
story: Psychological
short story
Narrative
style: Frame story
(story within a story)
Main
theme: True fear
comes from the unknown and mysterious, not
from visible danger.
Structure:
Conversation on the ship (frame)
First story – Desert of Ouargla (fear of
nature)
Second story – Forest cabin (fear of
imagination)
Return to ship – philosophical reflection.
Ending: Calm reflection showing that fear is mental,
invisible, and universal.
CHARACTERS
IN “FEAR”
1. The
Captain
Role: He begins the conversation on the ship by
talking about a dangerous experience at sea.
What he
says: He tells
others how he once felt fear when his ship hit a rock and was almost destroyed.
Significance: His story introduces the difference
between fear and danger, which becomes the main theme of the
story.
Symbolism: He represents ordinary or physical fear — the
kind of fear that comes from real danger.
2. The
Tanned (Sunburned) Traveller / Narrator
Role: The main speaker of the story and the real
narrator of the two experiences of true fear.
Description: A large, tanned, calm man with a serious face
— wise and experienced.
Character
Type: Thoughtful,
brave, philosophical.
Significance:
He argues that real fear is not what the
captain described.
He tells two stories — one in the desert
and another in the forest — where he experienced true
psychological fear.
Through him, Maupassant explores the inner,
mental side of fear.
Represents: The human mind struggling against the unknown.
3. The
Travelling Companions (in the Desert Story)
Who they
are: Two French
friends, eight Arab soldiers (Spahis), and four camels travelling through the
desert with the narrator.
Role: They accompany the narrator across the Sahara
desert.
Importance:
Their reactions, especially the Arabs’
fear of the mysterious drum, add to the feeling of dread.
One of them dies of sunstroke, showing the
harshness of the desert.
Symbolism: They represent human helplessness before
nature and the unknown.
4. The
Arab Soldiers (Spahis)
Who they
are: Native Arab
cavalry soldiers serving the French.
Role: They guide and protect the travelers in the
desert.
Importance:
When they hear the mysterious “drum of
the desert,” they become terrified.
Their reaction shows how superstition
and belief can increase fear.
Symbolism: Cultural fear and the power of imagination in
human minds.
5. The
Forest Guard
Role: A man living with his family in a forest cabin
in northern France.
Background: Two years earlier, he killed a
poacher (illegal hunter).
Belief: Every year on the same night, the ghost of
the dead poacher comes back to call his name.
Importance:
His fear and nervous behavior make the whole
cabin tense.
He shoots at what he thinks is the ghost — but
it’s his own dog.
Symbolism: Represents guilt, superstition, and mental fear
caused by conscience.
6. The
Poacher (Mentioned, Not Seen)
Who he
is: A man who
hunted illegally in the forest and was shot dead by the guard.
Role: Though dead, his memory
and ghost haunt the forest guard.
Symbolism:
Symbol of remorse and guilt.
The poacher’s spirit becomes the imaginary
source of fear that destroys peace in the cabin.
7. The
Peasant Guide
Role: A villager who leads the narrator through the
forest to the guard’s cabin.
Significance: A silent observer of the strange events that
night.
Symbolism: Represents ordinary people who witness but
cannot explain supernatural events.
8. The
Forest Guard’s Family
Members: His two strong sons, his wife, and his
daughter.
Description:
The sons stand ready with axes,
The women sit in a corner, terrified.
Significance: They show how collective fear spreads — when
one person is afraid, others become afraid too.
Symbolism: Family unity in fear; the power of suggestion.
9. The
Dog
Role: The guard’s loyal pet dog.
Action: It senses something outside the house, growls,
and looks at the door.
Tragic
End: The guard
mistakes it for the ghost and shoots it dead.
Symbolism: Represents innocence destroyed by fear —
how fear can blind human reason.
PLACES
IN “FEAR”
1. The
Ship (Opening Scene)
Description: A passenger ship travelling from France to
Africa.
Importance:
The story begins with passengers talking under
the moonlight on the deck.
It acts as a frame story — a story inside a
story.
The peaceful setting contrasts with the
terrifying stories that follow.
2. The
Desert of Ouargla (First Story)
Location: A vast desert region in southern Algeria
(North Africa).
Description:
Endless sand dunes, scorching heat, empty
silence.
No signs of life — only wind and shifting sand.
Importance:
The narrator first experiences true
fear here, after hearing the mysterious drum of
the desert.
The environment itself creates isolation and
fear.
Symbolism:
The emptiness of nature, reflecting
the emptiness
inside human courage when facing the unknown.
3. The
Forest in Northern France (Second Story)
Description: A dark, cold, stormy forest filled with wind,
rain, and strange sounds.
Location: Somewhere in the north-east of France.
Importance:
The narrator’s second experience of fear
happens here.
The setting of storm and darkness builds suspense
and supernatural atmosphere.
Symbolism:
Represents the unknown darkness of the human mind,
and how imagination can turn nature into horror.
4. The
Forest Guard’s Cabin
Description:
A small wooden house deep inside the forest.
Guarded with guns and axes, filled with
tension.
Importance:
The climax of the second story happens here.
The guard, his family, and the narrator
experience the height of psychological fear
when the dog is shot.
Symbolism:
The closed cabin symbolizes the closed
mind, trapped by fear and imagination.
🧭 Summary Table (for quick revision)
|
Character
/ Place |
Role
/ Description |
Symbolic
Meaning |
|
Captain |
Starts discussion about fear at sea |
Physical danger |
|
Tanned Traveller (Narrator) |
Main storyteller |
True psychological fear |
|
Arab Soldiers |
Companions in desert |
Superstitious fear |
|
Dead Traveler |
Dies of sunstroke |
Harshness of nature |
|
Forest Guard |
Haunted by guilt |
Fear of conscience |
|
Poacher |
Dead man’s ghost |
Symbol of guilt |
|
Guard’s Family |
Witness fear |
Spread of fear |
|
Dog |
Killed accidentally |
Blindness caused by fear |
|
Desert of Ouargla |
Scene of first story |
Isolation, mystery |
|
Forest & Cabin |
Scene of second story |
Darkness, guilt, imagination |
Paraphrase
of “Fear”
Introduction:
A conversation on a ship
A
group of passengers are travelling on a ship heading toward Africa. One night,
under a calm and beautiful moon, the passengers sit together on the deck
talking.
The captain begins to tell a story about a time he almost lost his ship. He
says that during that moment he felt great fear — when his ship was stuck on a
rock for six hours and was being beaten by the sea.
Then
another man among the passengers — a tall, tanned man with a serious look —
speaks. He disagrees with the captain. He says that the captain was in danger,
but he was not feeling real fear.
The
traveler’s definition of fear
The
tanned man explains that fear and danger are not the same thing.
He says that brave people do not feel fear when they are facing certain danger,
such as in battle or at sea, because they know what they are fighting or
escaping.
But true
fear happens in mysterious or uncertain situations — when we
cannot understand what is happening or where the danger is coming from.
It is a strange, physical feeling — as if our soul and body are trembling
together.
The
first story – Fear in the desert
The
man says he first felt real fear about ten years ago,
when he was travelling through the great southern desert of Ouargla
(in North Africa).
He was travelling with two friends, eight Arab soldiers (Spahis), and four
camels. The group was crossing the endless waves of sand under a burning sun.
The heat was unbearable, and the desert seemed endless and silent.
Suddenly,
one of the Arabs pointed to the distance. They all stopped. They heard a faint,
rhythmic sound — like a drum beating somewhere far away.
No one could see where the sound came from. The Arabs looked frightened. One of
them said it was “the drum of the desert”, and
that it meant death was near.
A
few minutes later, one of the travelers fell to the ground — killed by a stroke
of the burning sun. They dug a hole in the sand to bury him. The silence, the
sunlight, the loneliness, and that mysterious sound filled the narrator with a
terrible, cold fear.
He
says, “Facing
the dead body of my friend, surrounded by the vast empty desert, hearing that
strange drumbeat from nowhere — that was when I first truly felt fear.”
Later
he learned that the sound was possibly natural — maybe grains of sand moving in
the wind or an echo — but at the time, it was the unknown
that frightened him.
The
second story – Fear in the forest
The
man says he felt that same fear again one winter,
in a forest in northern France.
He
was walking with a peasant who guided him to the house of a forest guard where
they planned to sleep for the night.
When they reached the cabin, a storm was raging — the wind howled, trees
cracked, and the whole forest seemed alive with strange noises.
Inside
the house, they found a strange scene:
The forest guard stood with his gun ready,
Two big young men (his sons) held axes,
Two women (his wife and daughter) were sitting
silently in a corner, trembling.
The
traveler asked what was happening.
The guard replied that he once killed a poacher (a man who hunted
illegally) two years ago. Since then, he believed the dead man’s ghost
returned every year on the same night, calling his name outside the cabin.
The
traveler and his guide stayed. The storm grew worse. The wind screamed through
the forest.
Suddenly, the dog lying near the fire began
to growl, stood up, and stared at the door with bristling hair.
The guard said, “He knows! He was here when I killed the man.”
The women began to cry and scream. The traveler’s heart pounded — he too felt
the terrible fear.
A
moment later, they heard something scratching at the door. A white
head with glowing eyes appeared at the small window.
The guard raised his gun and fired.
When they opened the door, they saw that the dog was dead — its skull
shattered by the shot.
They
stayed awake until morning, too afraid to move or speak. The guard was shaking,
convinced the ghost had returned.
The
man’s conclusion
The
tanned man finishes his story and says:
“I have faced many real dangers — storms, battles, wild animals — but those did
not make me feel true fear.
Yet, the moment when I saw that white face at the window, not knowing what it
was — that was far worse.
I would rather go through a hundred dangers than feel again that one minute of
unknown horror.”
Meaning
and Message
Maupassant shows that fear is
not simply danger, but the terror of the unknown — when
the mind imagines and cannot understand.
He suggests that the most
frightening things are invisible and mysterious, not visible
enemies or weapons.
The story explores the psychology
of fear — how imagination and darkness can make the mind create
monsters.
The author uses vivid settings — the desert
(hot, endless, empty) and the forest (dark, stormy, haunted)
— to show how surroundings can deepen fear.
Moral /
Central Idea
True
fear is born from uncertainty and imagination, not from real danger.
It is when we face the unknown — when we cannot see or explain — that we
experience the deepest terror.
Questions
I. Short Answer Questions
Who is the author of “Fear”?
Answer:
The story “Fear” is written by Guy de Maupassant, a famous 19th-century
French short story writer known for his realistic and psychological stories.
Where does the story begin?
Answer:
The story begins on a ship bound for Africa, where several passengers and the
captain are talking on the deck under the moonlight.
What is the main theme of the story?
Answer:
The main theme is the difference between danger and true fear, and how the
unknown ormysterious can cause deeper terror than any visible danger.
What is the narrator’s idea of real fear?
Answer:
The narrator believes real fear comes not from physical danger but from
uncertain, mysterious, and inexplicable situations where the mind cannot
understand what is happening.
What strange sound did the travelers hear in the desert?
Answer:
They heard the beating of a mysterious drum coming from nowhere — known by the
Arabs as the “drum of the desert”, believed to signal death.
What caused the death of one of the travelers in the desert?
Answer:
One of the travelers died from sunstroke caused by the extreme heat of the
desert.
What was the setting of the second story told by the narrator?
Answer:
The second story took place in a forest in northern France, during a dark and
stormy winter night.
Who was the forest guard afraid of?
Answer:
The forest guard was afraid of the ghost of a poacher he had killed two years
earlier, whom he believed came back every year on the same night.
What did the forest guard shoot at the window?
Answer:
The guard shot at a white head with glowing eyes at the window — which turned
out to be his own dog, not a ghost.
What message does the story convey?
Answer:
The story shows that fear comes from the imagination and the unknown, not just
from physical danger. The mind creates horror where logic cannot explain things.
II. Medium Answer Questions
How does Maupassant distinguish between danger and fear?
Answer:
Maupassant
explains through the narrator that danger is something clear and real, such as
battle, storms, or wild animals — things brave men can face without trembling.
Fear,
however, is different. It arises when the danger is vague and mysterious — when
one does not know what is happening. The imagination fills the unknown with
terrifying possibilities, making the experience far worse than actual danger.
Describe the desert incident that caused real fear to the narrator.
Answer:
While
travelling through the Ouargla desert, the narrator and his companions heard
the mysterious beating of a drum from somewhere unseen.
The
Arabs believed it was a sign of death. One of the men soon collapsed and died
of sunstroke.
As
they buried him in the silent sand, the narrator was overwhelmed by a strange,
deep fear — not from the death, but from the mysterious sound and the vast
emptiness of the desert.
He
later realized the sound might have a natural cause, but at the moment, the
unknown made him feel true terror.
Describe the forest scene that frightened the narrator.
Answer:
On a
winter night, the narrator and a peasant sought shelter at a forest guard’s
cabin. Inside, the guard and his family were tense and afraid.
The
guard told them that two years earlier he had killed a poacher, and that every
year on the same night, he believed the poacher’s ghost returned.
The
storm outside, the howling wind, and the fearful atmosphere increased the
tension.
When
the dog started growling and a white head with shining eyes appeared at the
window, the guard fired his gun.
They
later found that he had killed his own dog. The whole experience filled the
narrator with the worst fear of his life, though he was not actually in danger.
What is the role of imagination in creating fear in the story?
Answer:
Imagination
plays a central role.
In
both the desert and the forest, the fear is caused by things that are not
clearly understood — a mysterious sound or a shadow at the window.
The
characters’ minds interpret these unknowns as supernatural or deadly.
Maupassant
shows that fear often comes from within us — from how our imagination shapes
our sense of danger.
What kind of atmosphere does Maupassant create in the story?
Answer:
Maupassant
uses setting, sound, and darkness to create an atmosphere of mystery and
tension.
The
silent, burning desert and the stormy, dark forest both symbolize isolation and
helplessness.
By
describing the environment in vivid detail — the endless dunes, the howling
wind, the scratching at the door — Maupassant builds a feeling of psychological
terror rather than physical horror.
III. Long Answer / Essay Questions
Discuss “Fear” as a psychological study of terror.
Answer:
“Fear”
by Guy de Maupassant is not about physical danger but about the psychological
feeling of terror that arises from the unknown.
The
story uses two examples — one in the desert, one in the forest — to show how
the mind reacts when it cannot explain strange events.
In
both cases, the narrator is safe but feels intense fear.
Maupassant
suggests that true fear is mental, not physical.
He
explores the reactions of the human mind — the trembling, the confusion, the
imagination — that make fear so powerful.
Thus,
the story becomes a study of how imagination and uncertainty create horror even
without real threats.
How does Maupassant use setting and description to build fear in
the story?
Answer:
The
story’s settings — the African desert and the French forest — are carefully
chosen.
In
the desert, the endless silence, heat, and loneliness make the travelers feel
small and helpless.
In
the forest, the storm, darkness, and howling wind create an atmosphere of
tension and suspense.
Maupassant’s
vivid imagery — “the rapid beats of a drum,” “the dog’s glowing eyes,” “the
scratching at the door” — turns ordinary sounds into symbols of terror.
Through
his detailed, sensory descriptions, he shows that fear grows from the
environment as much as from the imagination.
Explain the title “Fear.” What does Maupassant mean by it?
Answer:
The
title “Fear” perfectly captures the central idea of the story — the deep,
nameless terror that can seize even the bravest person when faced with the
unknown.
Maupassant
argues that true fear is not when we are in real danger, but when our mind
faces something mysterious and unexplained.
Through
the narrator’s experiences, the story defines fear as a psychological breakdown
of reason and courage, caused by uncertainty and imagination.
Thus,
the title represents not just a feeling but a powerful human experience — one
that reveals our deepest vulnerability.
