Fear

The Thurber family and those around them demonstrate an inordinate amount of fear. Author James admits to fear only when his army cot overturns at night pinning him, while everyone else is beginning to howl in fear. Mother inherits from her mother a fear of deadly electrical "drippage." Father distrusts old cars and suspects that his REO will some day explode. His son Roy uses this fear to trick him. James and Roy both watch the horror with which he awakens suddenly from a sound sleep, and keeps the bed between them and himself as he makes his break to safety. The behavior resembles fleeing a rabid dog. Rounding out the immediate household, Grandfather periodically fears that the Union troops may mutiny, allowing the Confederates to win the Civil War. He rather fearlessly leads the imaginary counterattack on several occasions.

Everyone in the household and the neighborhood fears...