One Cannot Avoid the Unavoidable

The short story Once Upon a Time by Nadine Gordimer presents a theme that one cannot avoid what is unavoidable; therefore, he must not fear it. This is a recurring theme throughout the story, beginning with the narrator lying frightened in her bed. Upon hearing the noise in the middle of the night and contemplating all the terrible possibilities of its source, she says, "I have no burglar bars, no gun under the pillow, but I have the same fears as people who do take these precautions...." (231). Here, the author is implying that those who have burglar bars and guns have not eliminated their fears in doing so. Taking such precautions will not prevent intruders or murderers from breaking in, though they may offer potential victims momentary solice. Such misfortune is predominantly unavoidable. Later, the author goes on to say, "But I learned that I was to be neither threatened nor spared. There was no human weight pressing on the boards, the creaking was a buckling, an epicenter of stress. I was in it" (232). She is implying that people jump too quickly to the worst-case scenario when signs of danger are present, while most of the time, the apparent danger is something completely harmless. Thus, we must not live life worrying about all the misfortune that can befall us, for in doing so, we may bring it upon ourselves.
This theme of the impossibility of avoiding the unavoidable is presented again later on in the story when the young boy dies as a result of his parents' paranoia and over-caution.  Despite all the measures the family took to protect themselves from harm, destruction eventually found its way. In fact, the family made the situation and outcome worse through their excessive fears. Once again, we in life, we must accept the things we cannot change and stop trying to avoid the unavoidable reality of danger.