Critically analyse this line ‘This is the Valley of Fear-the Valley of Death’. (5)

The title of the novel suggests how much fear plays a role in the events depicted within. The "Valley of Fear" is both a physical place—Vermissa Valley, heart of the Pennsylvania coal mines—and a symbolic place. In the latter sense it is a psychological valley in which Douglas finds himself stuck with no means of escape. He is menaced and burdened by his fear and knows that he can never escape it. It permeates all aspects of his life. Ultimately, fear keeps Douglas on his toes and alive a lot longer than if he had been complacent, but it cannot fully save him.