Fear. By definition, it is a distressing emotion aroused by imminent danger, harm or pain, whether the threat is real or imagined. Fear has power, but only when the person feeling it empowers it. In “The Storm,” Janet gives power to her fear, and in doing so, the fear masks what Janet should truly be afraid of, leading to the development of her character, the conflicts in her mind, and the overall theme of the short story. Throughout the story, Janet is depicted as a person who is "pale-faced with a blunt nose, thin with a simple, childish figure." Because of this characterization, it is not difficult to understand his protective mentality. Janet is insecure about her appearance and she constantly questions her actions, even commenting that "the fact that she got married seemed like a miracle to her". The fear that invades her throughout the story, however, contributes to the “survivor” personality that she begins to acquire. During the storm, Janet is alone and has to do things alone. She must go to a dark basement to search for firewood, decide what's best for her "family" when she finds a dead body in her trunk, and finally escape the clutches of a seemingly psychotic husband. Janet recounts experiences in this story dealing with developing an "adult" personality and realizing that the only person you can truly trust is yourself. The fear she felt as she faced the storm didn't even compare to the real fear she felt when she realized her husband was a murderer. Ultimately, Janet had to shed her childish personality, her need for protection, to save herself from a truly unimaginable fear. As a human race, we always seem to argue with ourselves, struggling between a choice and the middle of the situation. paper.......The way she constantly fights against every little thought that comes into her mind gives more and more power to her fear. The fear she feels for herself and for saving Ben all lead to the conclusion that Janet should not have been so afraid of her instincts and more afraid of the truth she was unknowingly passing on to herself. Fear is powerful and in Janet's case, her fear masked the reality that her husband was a deranged killer. Fear is omnipotent. We empower fear by allowing it to control our thoughts and actions. People act irrational when intimidated by fear, just like Janet. Janet's character development and inner conflicts are all masked by fear which entirely contributes to the theme. Empowering fear is making it stronger, and ultimately it's clear that what we should fear most is right before our eyes...