Abstract This paper examines the biographical background to the life of StephenKing, which reflects the supernatural psychological premise of his novel "The Shining". The paper looks at how King's own workaholic issues reflect how he sees issues in the modern American family, especially through the Torrance family. In this manner, King depicts his own views of how families relate to each other within the supernatural fiction he represents.
From the Paper In this literary study, the life and literary works of Stephen King will be analyzed in relation to his best selling novel: "The Shining". By understanding the major influences of horror literature that compelled King to write this novel, one can realize his affection for the mysterious, the psychological, and arcane. In realizing the life experiences of King and his literary approach to the telepathic and supernatural, The Shining is a clear example of the philosophy of horror and the psychological problems of the American family."
This paper explores the question of similarities or links between the characters in the same novel, as well as in completely different novels, in the works of novelist StephenKing.
Abstract This paper explains that StephenKing is a most prolific writer in one genre, horror books; therefore, there cannot help but be similarities in some of the characters in his dozens of published works. The author points out that every time StephenKing writes or develops a character that is to represent complete and undeniable evil, he gives that character the initials R. F., such as, in "The Stand", he named the epitome of evil, Randall Flagg. The paper relates that another commonality is that several of the characters in StephenKing's novels and short stories are social misfits, which naturally make them prime candidates to experience the horrors of King's innermost imaginative thoughts, as in "IT" or the writer in "Delores".
From the Paper "In the "Gunslinger", Roland, the main character, is practical and intelligent, which is the path most of King's characters take on. However, that is not an obvious "link" because very few people would read a novel in which the main character was not intelligent. It would make a boring book; therefore, King may not have purposely made this character as intelligent and practical as other "Dark Tower" characters. He may instead have created characters that were intelligent and practical because that is what sells books, and by coincidence, they all appear intelligent and practical."
Abstract This paper focuses on aspects of StephenKing's writing and life. The paper examines how others see StephenKing as a master of the macabre, but King himself has an aversion to being labeled by any single genre. It shows how, in all his novels, King seems to echo the 20th century obsession with horror, where, rather like in "Frankenstein", the initial progress brought on by the Industrial Revolution has waned, and its darker side, like the horrors of nuclear war, hang over the earth like a threatening sword with a kind of doomsday scenario. It discusses that, if we trace the evolution of King as a writer from his early macabre days to his later fantasy novels, he seems to echo deep fears within us all, as we ultimately struggle through the darkness to reach love and light.
From the Paper "Stephen Edwin King was born in September 21 st., 1947, Portland, Maine and soon after his birth his mother Nellie Ruth and his father Donald, separated. A product of a broken home, Stephen was brought up by his mother. His early life was spent shuttling between his father's family in Indiana and his mother's family in Massachusetts and Maine. The young Stephen graduated from high school in 1966 and showed early signs of his talent as a writer in the University of Maine from where he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper. As a student, he became a supporter of the anti-war movement and supported a peaceful solution to the war in Vietnam. His mother encouraged him to be a writer, but she was also insistent that he get a teaching certificate, so that he could have a job to rely on, in case his writing career did not progress well. (The Observer, 17 September 2000). He married Tahita Bruce in 1971 and they both had to struggle hard for a livelihood. During this time he taught, worked as a janitor and wrote short stories-Later to be published in the book, ?Night Watch.?"
Abstract This paper presents a candid account of the writer's opinion of the author, StephenKing. The paper provides examples from some of his literary works, illustrating his claimed genius. King's substance abuse is discussed, pointing out the influence it had on some of his novels. The writer concludes that, despite what anyone might say - King himself included, StephenKing is a master of literary form and, most of all, a master of the game of storytelling.
From the Paper "The genius that is Stephen King exists on many levels. The fact that he completed one of his highest praised novels, Cujo, well, higher than a kite, is brilliance in itself. If the man can write that well stoned out of his gourd, what could he do sober? Just looking at the cross-section of novels, short stories and even his new serial e-book, your average Stephen King fan will tell you ? the man can do anything. He is a literary god. But why? His alter ego, Richard Bachman, did not enjoy the level of success that Stephen King did. As the man, himself, asked, was it because the stories "sucked like an Electrolux"? Of course not. We?re talking about Stephen King ? or Dicky Bachman, as he called himself. The entire idea of the pseudonym brings forth the question, why do some authors achieve the level of success that Stephen King has? Is it really their writing? Well, Richard Bachman or no Richard Bachman, Stephen King's genius is evident in his every word ? ?luded, loaded or otherwise."
Abstract The paper explains that StephenKing's abounding popularity has come from his mastery of modern horror fiction, especially in his nonfiction book "Dance Macabre." The paper discusses how StephenKing has managed to adapt an old literary genre - horror and gothic fiction - into a form that modern audiences have appreciated in the millions. The paper reveals that this, more than anything else, accounts for his fame and his longevity in the world of fiction. The paper describes King's background and his literary successes. The paper relates that currently, King is working on expanding his "Dark Tower" series into a Marvel Comic series due to be released in 2007.
From the Paper "Born on September 21, 1947 in Portland Maine, King was raised by his mother--Nellie Pillsbury--after his father abandoned them when he was just two years old; "Ruth raised King and his adopted older brother David by herself, sometimes under great financial strain," (Wikipedia 2006). Nevertheless, King began his writing at a very early age; in fact, he is known to have written short stories on movies that he had seen, and for having sold these stories to fellow students. Once he was caught doing this, his teachers forced him to return the money. Still, already by grade school, King had partially satisfied his own measurement of what it means to be talented; he later wrote, "If you wrote something for which someone sent you a check, if you cashed the check and it didn't bounce, and if you then paid the light bill with the money, I consider you talented," (Wikipedia 2006). Clearly, King was well on his way to becoming a literary talent even by his own judgment."
Abstract This paper explains that StephenKing, who has published hundreds of works which were often made into popular movies, writes what modern society wants to read. The author points out that King's work is significant not because of the genre that he writes in but because of the way he uses that genre to write about real issues and to explore real concerns. The paper relates that the deeper themes show people's desire to understand themselves on a psychological level, recognizing and exploring the good and evil in themselves while ultimately wanting to overcome their own flaws and to choose good over evil.
From the Paper "This leads to a consideration of the types of issues that Stephen King explores in his work. Collings notes the close links between the themes explored and the concerns associated with current life. Collings suggests that "Carrie" and "Rage" both consider flaws in the education system, "Christine" is an exploration of people's love-hate relationship with cars, while "The Shining", "It" and "Rose Madder" deals with the failure of the American family. King himself also seems to recognize that his work deals with current issues, saying that all horror can be considered as serving as a barometer for the things that currently trouble a society. Certainly, considering the issues present in King's work is like compiling a list of the issues that trouble society."
Abstract A comparison and contrast of the writing styles of Alfred Hitchcock and StephenKing. It looks at how both are similar in presenting the everyday life and in terms of building suspense, sexual tension and the macabre. It also discusses Hitchcock's collaboration with screenwriters on the scripts for the films and King's prolific output as a novelist who is more graphic than Hitchcock.
From the Paper "The writing styles of Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King are similar in a number of ways. Both writers exhibit a writing style in which we find suspense, sexual tension, the macabre and inhibited or uninhibited character ..."
Tags: suspense, tension, macabre, characterization, everyman, supernatural, psyche, fear
Abstract This paper examines how King represents the theme of childhood in his fiction as a platform of discovery for growth and how this growth, in turn, shapes the child's character profoundly. The writer discusses the journey of similar aged characters in "Apt Pupil" and "The Body". In the conclusion, the paper shows that, for StephenKing, the theme of childhood is important not so much as a value itself but as a platform for growth to another stage of maturity.
From the Paper "One of the most common themes in literature is the growth of an individual from youth and innocence to maturity. Thus, when the theme of childhood is depicted in famous works such as Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the focus is often not so much on childhood itself but on the discoveries and experiences the main characters make that point the way towards maturity. This essay will argue that this approach to the theme of childhood can be seen in two texts from Stephen King's collection: Different Seasons. As will be seen, while in "The Body" the story focuses on a journey - told in retrospect - that symbolizes growth and an end of innocence in the primary character, in "Apt Pupil" the progress is not healthy growth but a movement towards evil and corruption."
Abstract This paper analyzes the characters in StephenKing's short story "Suffer the Little Children". Most of the characters are simply described in the beginning. whereas Emily Sidley-rightfully the protagonist of the story-is analyzed in detail.
Abstract This paper discusses the novella "Apt Pupil" by StephenKing, noting how the author explores different aspects of unnatural desire and relates these to themes of corruption and parasitic behavior. It explains that the young man, Todd, is drawn to his neighbor, the old man Dussander, and for the boy there is a mixture of desire and curiosity in this attraction. The paper contends that the boy wants to know more about the old man's past, and their relationship becomes one of mutual parasitism only possible because of the underlying desire that motivates both.
From the Paper "In the novella "Apt Pupil," Stephen King explores different aspects of unnatural desire and relates these to themes of corruption and parasitic behavior. The young man Todd is drawn to his neighbor, the old man Dussander, and for the boy there is a mixture of desire and curiosity in this attraction. The boy wants to know more about the old man's past, and their relationship becomes one of mutual parasitism only possible because of the underlying desire that motivates both. The boy himself is presented first as the all-American boy peddling his bicycle down the street of an average American town, and this normality contrasts with the events to follow and with the odd attraction Denker (a name used by Dussander) has for him. The man the ..."
Abstract This paper examines StephenKing's "Storm of the Century" which like many of King's works is classified in the horror genre and which combines elements of fantasy, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime drama and psychological thriller. It looks at how gore and guts are part of what makes this book characteristic of his work and his particular genre of horror and how it is a good example of how StephenKing has a knack for the supernatural, especially the twisted and macabre use of psychic powers. It analyzes how the book is rich with both elements of extra-sensory perception and Christian motifs and how the undercurrent of guilt and morality also make it a singular expression of horror fiction.
From the Paper "As the killing continues, Linoge transforms from a mysterious murderer into demoniacal killer. The difference is in his supernatural prowess, his ability to influence and possess the various people of Little Tall. This is one of King's main variations on the genre of horror fiction: he merges the supernatural with the mundane and macabre. Moreover, King shows that Linoge is not the sole repository of evil in Storm of the Century. Rather, he is a trigger that evokes lurking fears, guilt, and natural sin from all his victims. Some of his first words to Martha were, in fact, ?Born in lust, turn to dust. Born in sin, come on in.? In fact, so much of Linoge's agenda is the deliberate and violent expression of hidden lust, desire, hatred, fear, and other traits of the human dark side."
Abstract This paper analyzes StephenKing's novel, "The Green Mile", and its differences (and similarities) by comparing the treatment of the story through two different media: the book and film version. The book shows that in both media, StephenKing's novel possesses the theme of life, death, and healing, despite some differences in narrative order and treatment of the events in the story.
From the Paper "Edgecombe's character was introduced in the film in the second scene, wherein the viewers see him as an old man already. This was radically different with the book's style, since King did not mention anything about Edgecombe's being in a nursing home until in the first chapter of the second part of the novel. In the movie, Darabont (the director) made his film as "clean-cut" as possible, using flashbacks to the minimum and chronicled the events in the movie in an orderly way. In fact, Darabont did not dwell so much about Edgecombe's life in the nursing home, and focused entirely on Edgecombe's full narration of the events that happened to him when he was chief prison guard of the E block in Cold Mountain."
Abstract This research paper analyzes two books by author StephenKing, "The Mist" and "The Stand". These books differ from King's usual style of drawing his themes from the supernatural. The paper shows how these particular books demonstrate King's view of technology and religion as a source of horror in these modern times.
From the Paper ""The Mist" and "The Stand" provide excellent examples of the fears that can be generated by technology. In both stories, military technology is responsible for the destruction of nature and human life (Egan 53). In ?The Mist,? the Arrowhead Project is a secret military project that creates destruction. In this story, a strange mist with carnivorous creatures unknown to man takes over a small town in Maine. The story suggests that the Arrowhead Project is responsible for the mist. One of the characters, Ollie Weeks, suggests that the military was experimenting with high-intensity lasers and masers. Ollie stated, "That storm. Maybe it knocked something loose up there [. . . ] suppose they ripped a hole straight through into another dimension" (King 102; ch. 8)".
Abstract This paper analyzes StephenKing's story "In the Deathroom" from his collection "Everything's Eventual." The paper discusses the theme of the story and King's own views on its plausibility. It argues that prior to the point in the story when its implausibility became apparent, King's story represents a remarkable exploration of the theme of human survival amid adversity.
From the Paper "Such details of the inner-workings of Fletcher's consciousness amid the horrifying circumstances and imminent threat of death with which he is faced embody the theme of survival in the story "In the Deathroom". These are also the qualities that render the story most effective as a fictional work, for through them we can see Fletcher as an individual such as ourselves. The strategies that Fletcher employs for survival are those that we employ as part of our lives as well. Thus, this survival theme reinforces the plausibility of the story. This theme only ceases to be effective when Fletcher assumes a James Bond-like persona, at which point there is no longer any question of survival for we know that as with all superheroes everything will work out miraculously."
Abstract A brief study of StephenKing's life and its affect on his writing. Covers style, characters, content, and some themes, and traces the development of King's writing since the publication of Carrie in 1974. Discusses differences between his horror and non-horror writing, and how his horror works fit into the larger genres of horror and gothic fiction.
