How does どうするんだ function here?


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Taken from line 3: すると、一人の男が「そんな物、怖がって **どうするんだ** 。...」といばった。

On jisho, どうする translates into "what to do about it"
<http://jisho.org/search/dousuru> I feel rather unsure about the
implementation of this meaning here. I'd translate the sentence like this:

"Hereupon, one of the men bragged: "Such things, being afraid what to do about
it?..."

I think this phrase goes in the direction of "Such things, why bother with
being afraid?" or "such things, what do you do about feeling afraid". The
latter would imply a question about what they do to cope with it. I would say
that the first of the two interpretations is probably more fitting here, but
as I said, I don't really know what to do with this どうする here.




The guy is basically bragging that he is not scared of that "thing", and in a
way mock everyone who is scared.

The どうする might not be easy to understand. It technically means,

> "what you gonna do about it",

but the meaning is more something like,

> "how can you keep on going(living your life etc...) if you can't handle
> this".  
>  "What are you gonna do if you can't even handle that".  
>  "If you can't manage that much, there is nothing you can do(you are doomed
> to failure/mediocrity)"

Another easy way to understand might be to see it like this.

> Oh no what shall we do!




It's a rhetorical question (修辞疑問文/反語表現). It's a question in form, but
practically serves as an emphatic statement, with no answer or reply expected.

「～～して/でどうする(んだ)？」 as a rhetorical question emphatically asserts 「～～しても意味がない」
"There's no point...", 「～～する必要はない」 "There's no need to...", or 「～～するな」
"Don't..." etc., depending on the context.

> そんな物、怖がって **どうするんだ** 。

can mean/imply "There's no point feeling scared of such a thing"
「そんなものを怖がっても意味がない」, "There's no need to be scared of such a thing"
「そんなものを怖がる必要はない」, etc.

Examples:

>   * そんな[意気地]{いくじ}のないことで **どうする**  
>  Don't be so wet! (from Weblio例文辞典)
>   * そんな[狭]{せま}い[了簡]{りょうけん}で **どうする**  
>  Have done with such a narrow view! (from Weblio例文辞典)
>   * [靴]{くつ}なんか持って **どうすんのさ** ！靴下も！  
>  Come on just leave your shoes and socks! (from "Spirited Away")
>

