The Nature, Qualities, and Value of Fear

Throughout the book, the actions of virtually every character and the events of virtually every situation are defined by some aspect of fear. Protagonist Mitchell is the primary example: first, his identity and life’s work are both defined by fear – on a more intimate scale, fear of ending up as corrupt and as self-centeredly ambitious as his father, and on a larger scale, fear of natural disasters. Second, his income is based on the manipulation of fear – specifically, using his own fear as a tool to manipulate the fears of others, and to make money as a result of that manipulation.

Most importantly, Mitchell’s book-long journey of transformation is defined by his movement away from fear and towards its opposite: courage, which exists as an experience of overcoming fear. His fear of change is transformed when he makes...