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Bluffing Gail Helgason Analysis

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We all live in a world of danger; anything could happen without any warning. In the face of danger we all react differently, some aggressively, others defensively, but we all have one thing in common. In Gail Helgason’s Bluffing, it is clear that in the presence of danger, individuals act without thought, entering a different mindset altogether. This mindset contains a predetermined reaction, which differs between individuals. Both Gabriella and Liam show impressive attributes when their lives are on the line, but this was this a conscious reaction? When we meet Gabriella, we see a sweet, innocent girl that admires her significant other, Liam. She speaks highly of him and her plans to live together. As Liam reveals he would be living out of his partners van for a while, Gabriella snaps, entering her separate state of mind. Angrily, she “strode as fast as she could without walking”, leaving Liam behind. Where Gabriella was going to go and why was even uncertain to her. Stumbling across a bear in the woods, she realised that her problem was no longer Liam. Standing, staring, she wanted to run, but “some inner force held her, a force she’d never before sensed”. This was her reaction of self-preservation. She, without realising it, was using her knowledge of bears to protect herself from further harm. Her brain was preventing her from putting herself at risk. …show more content…

When he caught up to Gabriella, he saw the danger and froze. Despite Gabriella’s directions to prevent the bear attack, Liam turned and ran “away as fast as he could”, taking the bear with him. In the moments before this, Liam too entered his separate conscience. His reaction, though, was much different from Gabriella’s. She protected herself, but Liam’s reaction was of selflessness. He “meant the bear come after [him] instead of

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