The theme of this picture book is on people’s fear. Where does people’s atrocity that prevents world peace comes from? What makes people brutal and what makes people scared? This is simple psychology but often missed by the illusion of good and evil and the like.
Fear can be considered as a major cause of brutality and violence.
For example, in the case that a bullied child makes a counterattack against its bully, greater the fear is, more violent its revenge would become. If the bullied one’s fear against the bully’s possible harassment were very strong, its attack would become fatal, so that the oppressor would never be able to bully it again.
Or it is said that a cornered rat will bite a cat. If one were scared, in despair and fell into a panic, he/she would make a fierce attack with little chance of winning. It is not from stupidity but from despair.
And if the brutality is seen superficially, you may have an illusion and think that the one who is scared and in a panic is an extremely brutal and evil person.
Fear depends on the psychological status of each individuals in great amount. Fear or comfort may be induced by the same reality, depending on the person whose perception differs by his/her glasses (prejudice or a belief system).
As an example, if one believes that the world is packed with foes and bad people, he/she naturally sees many enemies and bad men there.
In the case the world only induces fear in him/her. The people who believe that they live in such horrible world will never have peace of mind no matter how heavily they are armed to protect themselves.
This sounds ridiculous in a way but it is said that there are enormous amounts of weapons on the earth, which are able to kill all human being multiple times. There would be a huge amount of fear/distrust of others hiding behind such massive armaments.
What is needed to heal scared people would not be more threats or fear, such as, accusation, intimidation, sanction, missiles, bombings, prisons and gallows.
What heal fear is forgiveness, understanding, a gentle smile, a flower, awareness that wipes off the darkness and a present of picture books with ribbons, the writer thinks.