Name: Fabien Calloud

Fear and Trembling by Kierkegaard

1. Explain:”how many did it render sleepless?”(28)

The meaning of “how many did it render sleepless?” is the number of people who after listening to
the story of Abraham. The story of Abraham is described as remarkable in this passage meaning how
it influences people whether they understand the story completely or poorly. The important question
that should be asked in relation to this quote is how did this story manage to make people at a point
where they become sleepless because they are thinking about the story of Abraham.

2. Explain: leap, plunge 34, 36.

In my opinion when the word “plunge” is used in this sentence, it seemed to me that the person is not
willing to take the necessary action or that he doesn’t have the confidence to accomplish what he’s
doing. The word plunge also means to dive or jump in quickly and in the sentence where the word is
used, it’s talking about faith and for me faith is very vague, so it makes sense that the person doesn’t
go into the absurd for no reason.
The second word “leap” in this context makes me think that if was on a trampoline he would take the
extra step to do the necessary action, in this case cross over infinity.

3. Can you figure out? – “the absolute” 56, 62.

In this passage Kierkegaard uses “the absolute” to talk about Jesus or God because of the power they
have. In the story of Abraham, they tell us how God kept all of his power and how he gained
Abraham’s faith into God and his trust.

***For Kierk, what do these words [absurd & anxiety] have to do with faith?***
4. the absurd --

The words absurd can be related to faith because we’re talking about God, who is referred to as the
Absolute. “Absurd” might mean that God is a person who has a lot of power and control over people,
such as Abraham, and using “the absurd” describes God and his way of doing things.

5. anxiety (& distress, agony) --

The word “anxiety” can mean that the person has concerns about his faith which can cause distress
or even agony to a person. Faith is different from a person so that would lead people to have their
opinions in which the word anxiety comes in as it shows how faith is a complicated thing to talk or
even describe about.

6. How does Kierk feel about Abraham?

130
 Name: Fabien Calloud
Fear and Trembling by Kierkegaard
He is amazed about the story of Abraham. The thing that amazes him the most is that Abraham puts
God above everything. His faith in God is what amazes Kierkegaard the most.

7. Why might Kierk discuss Mary? (65)

Kierk might discuss Mary because of Abraham’s faith to God. Mary is a bit of a mystery because of
how God chose her to become the mother of Jesus. Mary had purpose which can be compared to
with Abraham when he was not understood by other people. Because both Mary and Abraham have
faith in God like no one else, they became better than those who didn’t have faith in God.

130