viour towards children. The message may be fuzzy, King's control over the dark drives in his best-selling horror tales may be questionable; but the suffering of his sacrificial children points at adults as the main source of horror in the child's life, within
"[...] and outside his fiction."
Agree with this- seen in Alegre's argument concerning Firestarter. Positive upbringing led to strong morals in protagonist.
bly, no writer at all assumes this Dickensian role today. The function popular American Gothic fulfils today is that of pointing at the dark areas of contemporary American society, among which the troubled relationship between children and adult
"[...] adults stand out."
Intriguing note here, and while I still don't agree with the lack of moral message argument, it would be worth comparing to other American Gothic works.
mple-mindedness, or commercial interests, horror fiction authors will not go beyond the exposition of a particular real-life issue and its linking to apparently unrelated if not downright amoral fantasies. Novels like King's may be a remarkable index of the anxieties besetting America - especially American men - but cannot articulat
"[...] a moral message to overcome them."
Perhaps true, but I believe this requires more looking into. In It and Gerald's Game, there is a strong message that the ultimate way to overcome childhood trauma is to confront it head on.
ship between children and monstrosity in adult fiction. What emerges from them is a common portrait of childhood as a time of isolation spent facing the horrors created by adults, while fatherhood is portrayed as the task of facing the monst
"[...] monsters arising from faulty parenting."
Intriguing take- children are portrayed as the unfortunate victims of fathers not being able to control their curiosity regarding evil, and thus they pay the price either through death or lifelong trauma.
sed by the daily difficulties of family life. The reader feels thus compelled to sympathise with Louis in his bereavement and to forgive him for the horrific manipulation of Gage's and Rachel's bodies. Paradoxically, not the father but his grief spri
This shows that Louis is more sympathetic than Frankenstein. His motive is not out of morbid curiosity, but grief and a wish to return to a content family life.
child from harm. But the reborn Gage, a foul-mouthed, murderous parody of a child, is a demon that, as happens in Frankenstein, seeks revenge for his new condition by killing what his father loves most - here, his own mother Rachel. For t
Leading on from Frankenstein comparison, it is intriguing to note that the Monster of Frankenstein is easier to sympathize with than Gage. Neither ask to be created, but we receive the Monster's point of view on his creation, while Gage, a confused undead toddler, goes on a murderous rampage.
The breaking of the taboo that also dooms Victor Frankenstein (no man can give life except to monsters made of broken dead bodies) results in the monstrous child Gage of Pet Sematary
Strong comparison between Pet Sematary and Frankenstein made here. Perhaps it is worth examining the difference in motives between Louis Creed and Victor Frankenstein, and whose motives are easier to sympathize with.
at Rainbird orchestrated her capture. Charlie's unleashing of her power following Andie's death shows that she has finally matured into a peculiarly strong heroine. He
Interesting to note that as Charlie is raised by a loving parent, she is able to use her powers to destroy morally corrupt characters. Once again, compare to Carrie, and how an abusive upbringing led to the titular character harming undeserving peers. Implication here that parental attitude makes a strong difference?
s own child. Afraid of Charlie's powers, which he thinks will reach a new peak with the onset of menstruation, Andie teaches her self-control. The relations
Perhaps worth comparing to Carrie here? There is a running connection of supernatural powers in adolescent girls, and how those powers intensify once menstruation begins.
. Presumably, other isolated children will face other honors in Den
*Derry.
Important to note novel's ambiguous ending concerning the fate of It. Unfortunately, child abuse will continue to prevail, and it is highly likely in the town of Derry, where adults intentionally ignore evil presiding in the town. Adults ignoring evil contributes to the trouble faced by the adults in It, which may be King's way of arguing that as long as other adults ignore child abuse, it will continue to thrive.
e. Their final destruction of 'It' as adults is, then, the culmination of psychological therapy for all. This is similar to the therapy undergone by victims of child abuse: unearthing the memories of the confrontation with the monster in childhood means unearthing the memories of abuse that have conditioned their lives. The fan
Integral to the argument. This shows that the character of It is a metaphor for child abuse, and the only way they could ever be truly free from the trauma they faced is to confront it.
child; Eddie is also the victim of an overprotective mother and Beverley of her father's sexual abuse. T
Worth noting that as adults, Eddie and Beverly marry two people who are incredibly similar to their overbearing and abusive parents. This perhaps goes against Alegre's argument that repressing memories is the only way to lead to a healthy adulthood, as it is only after their return to Derry that these two characters realize they have never truly escaped the trauma of their childhood inflicted by their parents.
// focuses on the idea that only by repressing the memory of the horrors of childhood may the child grow into a healthy adult. This reverses the idea that remembering abuse is the only way to heal one's deepest disturbances. In // children u
[Note: // has replaced It in annotations.]
Perhaps not entirely true? Mike Hanlon is the only protagonist to retain the memories of the events of 1958, and has grown into a healthy adult, particularly in comparison to Jack Torrance. Does repressing childhood memories truly help?
0). What causes the collapse of the father is the surfacing of his anxiety regarding his subconscious sexual desire for his own male child; since the boy is out of bounds because of particular social constraints placed on the father, hatred of his unattainable body ensues, which leads to the violence against him. Bruhm may be ri
Strongly disagree. There is not enough evidence to back up this argument, and Jack's poor behaviour towards Danny is explained thoroughly in the fact that he was previously abused, and due to his alcoholism.
ough love from his father. Danny's ordeal is thus blamed on his grandfather, for whose behaviour there is no excuse, except, perhaps, that it was conditioned by the patriarchal society in which he grew up, a moral abstraction in itself. This r
Alegre may be suggesting here that there is a source of evil in the past- integral to thesis argument. This past evil leads to current effects of child abuse.
pseudo-parenting. The enormity of the experience should inevitably have destroyed this special little boy, but his shining seemingly signifies his ability to survive unscathed to become a well-adjusted man and father. Somethi
Once again, worth examining with following publication of Doctor Sleep. Danny is clearly traumatized by the events of The Shining, seen in his alcoholism in the opening chapters of the following novel, but he manages to triumph over his childhood trauma, unlike his father. Alegre's point may still prove valid.
King clearly criticises Jack's monstrous selfishness (perhaps his own as a writer) and h
Worth examining Jack's morally grey portrayal in relation to the fact that King considers him to be his most autobiographical character- criticism Jack faces from narrative is perhaps criticism towards King's own self.
un. Impersonating the authoritarian voice of Jack's own father, the Overlook convinces Jack that only killing Wendy and Danny will liberate him. T
Uses childhood trauma once more to bring about his downfall, and also this relates to Alegre's earlier point of Victorian literature, and how women and children were viewed as subordinates. Progression of literary era shown as this is portrayed as an aspect of evil morales.
Fredric Jameson argues that what possesses Jack is not evil but "the American past as it has left its sedimented traces in the corridors and dismembered suites" of the Overlook (1990: 90). This possession is a subversion of democratic, liberal values signified by the "nostalgia for hierarchy and domination" (Jameson 1990: 96).
Point integral also integral to thesis- the true evil of The Shining lies in the past of this country. Use of ghosts as dominating supernatural force help to emphasize this point- they are eternally trapped in a morally corrupt era.
mes an ambivalent vindication of the father as victim. Torrance becomes an alcoholic at high school under the stress of his inability to cope with the effects of the abuse inflicted by his father on his mother, his siblings and himself. His case re
While Jack is not a child in horror fiction, it is still worth examining him as a victim of childhood trauma, and perhaps comparing his coping methods as an adult to the protagonists of It- they are able to forget their trauma. Because Jack was not targeted by a supernatural force but rather a human one, there is no way for him to forget, hence his eventual descent into madness.
ture. The problem is that they do so in fiction which, seeking to denounce abuse, must represent it as vividly as possible. This is popular fiction which is, in addition, highly suspect of concerning itself with nothing else but its own commercial impact. Hence the ambiguity of the moral message of regeneration for the American family preache
"[...]d by male writers like King."
Do not entirely agree with this point- King does not portray abuse in the novel without reason. As noted in the above annotation, the abuse Jack faces serves to create a morally-grey character, and his abuse of Danny is to show his shortcomings. Abuse is never taken lightly in this novel. Also, the fact of whether or not this is popular fiction is irrelevant.
fathers in all kinds of fiction. In King's novels external agencies - from alcoholism to supernatural possession, passing through experimental drugs and evil patriarchal men - are invoked not so much to excuse the father's behaviour as to explain the dark roots of his victimisation. His men may not b
Worth keeping in mind when thinking of Jack's morally grey portrayal throughout the novel. His behaviour is never excused, and his fate at the end of the novel is ultimately karma, but his childhood trauma serves as an explanation to understand his behaviour instead of portraying him as a one-dimensional monster.
th adult men and women. David Skal suggests that these "pervasive fantasies of intergenerational abuse" have "more to do with the baby boomers' shifted resentment of their own children - not to mention their own parents" (1993: 362) than with reality; they accuse out of fear of being themselves accused
Agree with this point. Jack's behaviour throughout the novel is often driven by the past event of breaking Danny's arm, as well as Jack's own father being abusive towards him. He uses his own childhood trauma to hide behind the fact that he once seriously harmed his own son.
Men celebrated in their fantasies of childhood innocence and childish womanhood their own power to treat children and women as subordinate, dependent beings.
When noting this in Victorian, it is also worth examining King's subversion of this. In The Shining, Jack sees himself as being the protector of the family, and hero of the novel, while treating Danny and Wendy as too "weak" to understand the powers of The Overlook. The fact that the hotel wants Danny, and uses Jack simply as a vessel, and Wendy ultimately defies Jack at the end subverts the idea that women and children are subordinates.
survive. Their attempt to rebuild the forgotten links between their childhood and adulthood only results in renewed trauma leading to renewed oblivion of the horrific past.
Integral idea to thesis discussion. Protagonists of It must allow childhood trauma to re-enter their lives to save the lives of future children in Derry. Intentionally ignoring it would result in evil continuing to thrive, which happens to be the downfall of the protagonists of The Shining and Pet Sematary.
he American family. Happy and unhappy endings send King's children in troubled directions that can only result in badly adjusted adulthood, for the children of his fiction must be inevitably traumatised by the horrific experiences that King bu
"[...] builds around them."
Important to note that this article was published before Doctor Sleep, which does explore Danny Torrance's adult life after the events of The Shining. Is it worth keeping in mind Alegre's arguments concerning the adult lives of the children discussed in this article, while at the same time weighing them up with canonical material that has emerged since the article's publication?
position regarding the relationships between children and adults. Despite his apparently siding with the unprotected children, King's child characters are often exposed to a high degree of abuse that may not be wholly justified by his criticism of the
[...]of the American family."
Strong claim, but a valid point. When reaching the conclusion of the four novels Alegre chooses to discuss in this article, there are times when the abuse children are put through can be doubted to be necessary.
That being said, though, Pet Sematary's harsh treatment of Gage is a necessity for King's argument to be made. It is always necessary to look at the context of these situations.