Final answer:
The provided passages deal with themes of fear, survival, and the uncanny, reflecting common human experiences through literary narratives. Characters face unknown dangers, struggle to cope with life-threatening situations, and confront unsettling elements, all of which serve to evoke visceral responses from readers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The excerpts provided showcase various instances of fear, struggle, and confrontation with the unknown, which are common themes in literary narratives. These themes resonate with human experiences of fear, survival, and the element of the uncanny. Individually, each passage introduces a scenario where the character is either in danger, confronting something unsettling, or dealing with internal conflicts brought about by external circumstances. In the passages, fear is a prevalent emotion, often caused by unknown entities or perilous situations, such as a child getting lost in the woods, a man confronting the prospect of freezing to death, or characters facing potential ghosts or hostile animals.
The sense of survival is evident in the characters' attempts to escape harm, whether through physical effort or mental resilience. The concept of the uncanny is manifested in the unfamiliarity and strangeness of the situations confronting the characters, from unusual animal encounters to eerie nightly travels. Each narrative serves to evoke a visceral response from the reader, using the literary devices of suspense, detailed imagery, and emotional evocation to create compelling stories that reflect the darker side of the human experience.