In Niccol Ammaniti's 2001 novel, "I'm Not Scared," the author explores how fear affects the residents of Acqua Traverse. Through the character, Michele Amitrano, we witness how he uses his sense of morality to confront fears; this is amplified through Amitrano's determination to "pluck up the courage and look," showcasing how he overrides fear and faces reality. Taking place in the 1970s, the novel is set during the significant increase in kidnapping incidents across Italy. Ammaniti highlights the destructive nature of fear, showing how it can influence individuals to make decisions that harm community bonds and reveals the cruelty of the adult world. However, he also suggests that fear can otherwise provide courage to individuals, illustrated through the protagonist's journey in following his moral compass. …show more content…
From children to adults, everyone has experienced fear in different ways, evidently presented through the characters in the novel. This is illustrated through the first scene of the text where Michele falls into the hole finding a leg, this ultimately makes him “[jump] backwards”, nearly “[passing] out” due to fear. Not only that, but Michele often immerses himself in his imaginary world, making references to reality as fictional characters, for example, the symbolism of “monsters”. With this fear he uses the “foil monster” method to swoop the monsters in his nightmares away; imagination is his way of making sense of the world around him. Barbara, on the other hand, is frightened of “being left on her own”. This explains why during a scene where Barbara had to perform a forfeit, Skull demanded her to “pull down [her] knickers” and “show [them] [her] slit”; although she knew “the forfeit was too harsh”, she still “[undid] her buttons” due to her fear of being alone. As for adults, they fear