Final answer:
In 'The Pit and the Pendulum,' people face death with fear and anxiety, struggling to accept their fate. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross proposed a model describing five stages of grief that people may go through when facing death. Different individuals and cultures may have varying attitudes towards death, from courage and resignation to indifference or curiosity.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of 'The Pit and the Pendulum,' people tend to face death with fear and anxiety, often struggling to accept their fate. In the story, the narrator is imprisoned and faces the imminent threat of the deadly pendulum swinging above him. He experiences intense fear and anxiety as he tries to escape his impending death. This is evident when the narrator describes his terror and desperation, stating, 'I felt that I breathed an atmosphere of sorrow' and 'I dreaded to move.' The text provides a clear example of how people face death with fear and anxiety.
Outside of the story, people's reactions to the prospect of death can vary based on their individual beliefs and experiences. For example, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, a psychologist who studied death and dying, proposed a model that describes five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This model suggests that people may initially deny the reality of their impending death, then experience feelings of anger, attempt to negotiate or bargain with a higher power, face depression, and eventually reach acceptance.
Furthermore, different individuals and cultures may have varying attitudes towards death. While some may approach death with courage and a sense of resignation, embracing it as a natural part of life, others may react to it with indifference or curiosity. For example, in some cultures, death is seen as a transition to the afterlife, and individuals may embrace death as a part of their spiritual journey.