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Effect of Fear

It is common to be enraged by movie characters during scenarios involving violence or

potential danger. One may even loudly exclaim that a character is foolish or cowardly for

specific actions or inactions. However, such instances do not only occur in movie scenarios.

There are times when people face or witnessing with violent acts, fail, or are unable to act as one

would expect them to. One of the main reasons for this is fear. An analysis of the provided texts

provides reveals how fear penetrates such scenarios. Usually, fear can create a paralyzing effect

that influences a person in three primary ways a sense of helplessness, potential harm, and lack

of control. In this case, aspects of fear are visible within the precepts of potential harm to oneself

and family, one having a target on their back, and potential implications for the crime.

The presence of a dangerous attacker wielding a weapon puts the physical safety of the

witnesses at risk. Violent crime can impart a traumatic experience that elicits varied emotions,

such as anxiety and panic in the witnesses, that lead to inaction. Regarding the incident in the

text, the attack was sudden and unexpected, and the screams from the woman revealed that it was

potentially life-threatening. As she screamed, Miss Genovese exclaimed in shock that the

assailant was stabbing her and that she was dying (Gansberg). One way the witnesses would

have helped is to rescue the woman from the assailant. For instance, assuming there were no

means to contact the police, the man from the apartment would have gone out and confronted
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him physically, scared him away, and attended to the woman. However, fear creates a sense of

vulnerability and unpredictability, making a person feel helpless about the situation.

The fear of implication can lead to withdrawal, where witnesses access the legal

implications their involvement would have on their lives, particularly as potential suspects. Many

people have been arrested after forensic evidence, and witnesses’ statements implicated them

with certain crimes. A detective observes that people came out after Mrs. Genovese’s body was

taken by the ambulance (Gansberg). The scenario happened at night, and it was hard for the

witnesses to place the assailant's identity. The only clear thing was that a man committed the

crime. For instance, even after apprehending a suspect who confesses to committing the crimes,

there seems to be a crush in the cases as another person had previously been arrested in one of

the cases. There are many instances where people have been implicated, whether by the police or

the mob, for committing a crime, and then it is later dismissed as a case of mistaken identity.

More often than not, especially when the mob is involved, a mistaken identity can lead to an

innocent death. Also, incarcerated people continually appeal for their cases to be reviewed,

insisting on their innocence. Such considerations are often a source of fear during and after a

crime.

Also, there is usually the concern that an assailant who remains unarrested can come back

and attack potential witnesses to the crime. In the text’s scenario, it is evident that the assailant is

resolved to ensure that Mrs. Genovese is dead. He attacked her two times and stabbed her three

times; the last was fatal (Gansberg). To some extent, one would presume that he realized that

Mrs. Genovese would reveal his identity if she survived the attack. Witnesses, especially those

coming from closely-knit neighborhoods, fear having targets on their backs and their family

members. Such fear is visible in their unwillingness to engage the police, even as witnesses to
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the crime. Threats to family members have often been used to blackmail people into doing

outrageous things, including crimes. The crush on the identity of murder suspects also posits a

potential case of coercion to hide the real identity of the assailant by placing a target on the

victim’s family. Such observations would merit further investigations into the case.
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Works Cited

Gansberg, Martin. "Thirty-eight who saw murder didn’t call the police." New York Times 27

(1964).