Look both ways

Topics: Fear, Anxiety, Life Pages: 2 (677 words) Published: August 19, 2014

Through the use of animations and photomontages, Watt illustrates the internal emotions that the characters have, such as anxiety, suspicion and despair. These recurring, mental images cause both Meryl and Nick, to live life in fear of death. When Nick was diagnosed with cancer, he immediately saw his life flashing past him in the form of a photomontage. Watt uses these montages to describe Nick's fear of death and that though he may seem in control on the outside, he is actually feels alone, confused and anxious that his life will end the same way his father's did. His fear of cancer and his assumption that he won't survive his battle with cancer causes him to give up and therefore not live life, since he would die soon anyway. He therefore does not participate in his regular activities such as work and cricket with enthusiasm, and is unable to be happy and live life fully. Meryl also struggles with her visions of potential threats everywhere she goes. The vivid images of knife attacks and robbers shooting her cause her to feel nervous and to live in suspicion of everyone around her. This is evident when Meryl becomes anxious when Nick asks her for her phone number, even though they were intimate the night before. This shows that due to her fear of the worst-case scenario occurring, she struggles to embrace life, take risks and form relationships, which are essential in life.

Watt also demonstrates how past experiences of death can have an impact on the individual's perspective of their own life and death. Nick reflects on his father's battle with cancer in fear that he too will suffer and not survive. His memories of his father struggling to complete daily activities such as going to the toilet cause Nick to become even more worried, since he is so sure that because his father didn't survive, he wouldn't either. He also doesn't willingly involve himself with Meryl in fear that she too will suffer as much as his mum did, when his father was ill. Due to his...
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