Fear and Foresight

Though significant decisions in life are usually made with careful

consideration, there are inevitable cases in which outside factors change the way
individuals would usually respond. A common manifestation of one of these factors
is the fear attached to the future and natural instinct to worry about the impact that
these decisions will make. Anxiety and doubt surrounding the implications of a
decision can prevent one from acting on certain opportunities and thus losing the
chance to lead ones life on a certain path. However, an individuals foresight has
the potential to anticipate grand visions of their future that would ultimately allow
them to be confident in the quest for a more fulfilling life. In the excerpt from
Gabrielle Roys The Tin Flute, she presents the idea that when making life changing
decisions, the fear of making a wrong decision as well as the anticipation for the
future can influence our decisions significantly as we struggle to find the best
choice. The character Florentine faces this conflict as she decides whether or not to
accept a gentlemans request to go to movies together.
Presented in the text is Florentines daily monotonous routine of
working as a waitress, a job she finds inescapably tiring. Every day, she is forced to
constantly be smiling no matter how enraged and miserable she might be, in
order to satisfy the customers and keep her job stable. While under her habitual
pretense of happiness, Florentine is notably aware that she is not pursuing her own
true satisfaction. Through the authors description of her tired, worn out features,
one can glean the conclusion that the fear of doing this forever makes her willing to
look for opportunities for a better life. Such opportunity knocked on the door when a
customer, Jean Levesque, asks her to go to the movies with him. Even though it is a
very basic question, to Florentine this can be a life altering choice. Accepting his

request and her life might be improved significantly while declining and she might
miss the best opportunity she will ever get. Therefore, fear and foresight come into
play as she struggles to decide whether to go with him or not. Since Florentine
knows nothing about Jean, not only does she find the idea ridiculous but also fears
that he might not be out of good intentions as she asks angrily and mournfully,
Why should I go to the movies with you? I dont know you! She is also afraid that
maybe he only wants to make fun of [her] and not seriously looking for any
relationships. Despite all her worries, her foresight creates great anticipations for
the future with Jean if she accepts his request. Florentine sees Jean as someone she
would like to share a life with because she believes he can make her truly happy.
Through careful observations, she noticed that not only is he strikingly handsome
but also decently wealthy from all kinds of expensive luxuries he wears. Because he
is still young and has potential, she is confident that he would be prosperous in the
future. Therefore, being with Jean might present her the opportunity to finally be
able to fulfill her desires and pursue her own happiness. Florentine debates whether
to decline because her fear of the outcomes or take a leap of faith and explore the
infinite possibilities she can have with Jean.
The conflict Florentine faces in the story bears similarities to one that
my grandfather had once faced: he was presented with an opportunity to either
become mayor and shoulder the enormous responsibility of an entire town, or
remain a farmer and carry on the family tradition. Back then, he lived in a rural
small town and taught at the local high school. It was in his nature to not only care
for each of his students, but take a personal interest in every person he met. Due to
his inclination to help others, when the old mayor retired, the people of the town
urged and offered my grandfather the role. Overlooking the life-altering nature of

the decision, many of his colleagues pushed him to accept what seemed like an
honorable position without consideration. However, such decision cannot be made
without careful deliberation, and once again fear and foresight influenced the
decision making. The idea of becoming a mayor can sound attractable to most
people because it can mean wealth, fame and better life for your family and
generations after. My grandfather foresaw this better future as a mayor; however,
he also feared the responsibility the mayor has to undertake. Just like how
Florentine fears that Jean is merely trying to humiliate her, my grandfather was
afraid of the criticisms he would face if he failed to become a great mayor or unable
satisfy everyones opinion. Nevertheless, most importantly, my grandfather was
afraid of losing his life on the farm. Even though working as a farmer can seem plain
and monotonous, He enjoyed working in the field with neighbors, harvesting every
autumn and having every meal with his family. Therefore, he wanted to continue
this family tradition, and the fear of losing this life made him unable to realize how
precious and beneficial this opportunity can be for our family. His fear of change
overruled his foresight of a better future and he declined the offer. This story has
been told to me countless times and every time I can sense his regret for not willing
to try something new and ended up missing the opportunity of a life time.
All significant decisions in life should be made with careful consideration.
Nevertheless, many factors can influence peoples decision making as well as how
they respond in different situations. When making life changing decisions, the
interplay between fear and foresight can play a significant role as we struggle to
find the best choice. In the excerpt from The Tin Flute, the character Florentine
debates whether she should let her fear for the future stop her from accepting a
mans request to go the movies or, believe in the better future created by her

foresight and take this chance to change her life. My grandfather also faced similar
struggle when he was offered to become the mayor of his town. Blinded by the fear
of the enormous responsibility and losing the life as a farmer, he was unable to
realize the prosperous future of becoming a mayor and ended up missing a great
opportunity. The idea of fear and the natural tendency to worry about the future
comes into our minds almost every time we need to make a choice. Uncertain for
where the decision will lead us and fear that the future might not go as expected
can prevent us from making certain choices and backing off from different
opportunities. However, on the other hand, our foresight can create great
anticipations for the future that makes us believe whichever decision we make has
the potential to be beneficial and can lead to a more successful life.