Heroes of the Frontier #5

What causes us to be afraid? Is it the ultimatums we are forced to make or is it the endless unknown that has yet to come or is it an event that has scared us psychologically to cower in fear whenever we are in the presence of or the thought of the dread comes to mind? For Josie’s sake, her main anxiety and fear surprisingly is not whether she is making the right choice of coming to Alaska and what should she possibly do with Ana and Paul which have been issues she made aloud either by herself or Sam. Her fears that become known are over herself aging and one of the most common anxieties, death.
Josie primary encounter with this fear of death happens when she examines Jim’s Grenada tattoo which she ponders, “will this harmless man kill me?” (Eggers 250) Given that remark, Josie has an existing fear of death and tenses up at the thought of Jim possible harming him because of this sudden discovery after the kindness and hospitality he had shown. This sudden mistrust gives a hint of Josie’s regret or guilt for Jeremy who enlisted inly because of Josie’s encourage and she could feel nothing good will happen if she decides to become involved with anyone else similar to him, being in military.