Fears

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I am not a big fan of horror movies so I definitely don't want my characters to turn out scary!! As the topic is Gothic horror I want my work to be more on the gothic side so I am going to research into what things people are mostly scared about.

What are fears?

A fear of something is hard to explain. You dont know what it is but you are terrified. It creates memories for people, making them never forget.

Fears aren't just about being scared of ghosts or spiders, people can be scared and feel uncomfortable in social situations. This can make the person feel rejected, like other people judge them in negative way, embarrassed and anxious. Many common social fears include: 

Making conversation

Meeting new people

Revealing personal information about oneself

Interacting with certain types of people 

Being the centre of attention

Public speaking and performing

Making eye contact

"Fears involve unrealistic thoughts that distort the potential for danger in a situation"

Information from: http://www.succeedsocially.com/socialfears

In the BBC mini series we see that Miss Havisham keeps scratching and picking at herself. Why is this? Could it be down to a social situation or something she is afraid of?

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Image from: https://janeaustensworld.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/letter-of-betrayal-from-compeyson.jpg

What makes me scared?

My biggest fears are spiders, death, china dolls and things that are haunted. All of these things get my heart racing and I feel nervous and anxious.

Spiders:

I don't know why but spiders are my biggest fear (even the tiny ones!!) Its just something about them that makes my skin crawl and every time I see one I run a mile! They have way too many legs and I don't appreciate being joined by one!

Death:

There are a lot of things you can ask people to describe, but there is one question that no one can answer - what happens when you die? Getting old and dying scares me, it means you're getting closer to death. It's the unknown that frightens me. Do you live on as a ghost? Are you reborn into someone/something else? Is it just blackness?

China Dolls:

Its the shiny faces and big creepy eyes that get me. They seem follow you around the room and it makes me nervous being around them. Why do people have them on display in their houses?

Haunted:

I am a baby when it comes to horror films and anything scary. I can't sleep at night because I imagine things and create stuff in my head and I end up having sleepless nights (not fun when you have lectures the next day!)

Gothic horror isn't necessarily about the horror, its about the fears that leave people terrified but fascinated at the same time. When it comes to creating my design I really want to somehow incorporate some of mine, or other peoples fears in it to make sure I fully grasp the Gothic theme.