Final answer:
The literary passages demonstrate characters' complex emotional reactions to fear and stressful situations, highlighting themes of vulnerability, guilt, passion, and jealousy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The passages provided come from various literary texts and they depict different characters' reactions to stressful or fearful situations. The reactions range from shock, desperation, fear, to guilt and jealousy, with each character responding according to their unique circumstances and relationships with other characters.
For example, Calixta's reaction to the storm shows fear for her child's safety and reveals her vulnerability, which leads to a moment of renewed passion with Alcée. Editha's guilt and fear surface when she confronts the mother of her fiancé who died in the war, having encouraged him to enlist.
And the final passage captures a character's jealousy and pain when confronted with the prospect of someone else being more favored or appreciated.