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Full Description
Many academics dismiss Stephen King as a mere genre writer, an over-glorified bestseller who appeals to the masses, but lacks literary merit. This critical analysis of King's epic novel The Stand makes a case for the horror master as a literary writer. A careful consideration of The Stand's abstract themes, characters, setting, and text reveals how King's work brims with the literary techniques that critics expect of a serious writer and the haunting questions that mark enduring literature. A thoughtful deliberation on so-called "escapist" fiction in the world of literature as well as an informed examination of one of King's most famous books, this work paves the way for future studies of other King novels.
Contents
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
Literature: What Is It Good For?
Horror: Red-Headed Stepchild of Fiction
King Criticism: Or Lack Thereof
A Defense of Escapism
The Stand
The Tolkien Connection
One: The Set-Up
Small-Town America
The Military
99.4 Percent Communicability
The Media
Two: The Players
Ordinary People Can Make a Difference
Small-Town Maine: King's Specialty
American Nice Guy
A Pawn in the Hands of Providence
Human Nature
The Sanctity of Innocence
Intellect Gone Awry
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
For Every Villain a Right-Hand Man
Evil Always Undoes Itself
In the Hands of a Demanding God
American Evil
Three: The Big Picture
Good vs. Evil: Dream a Little Dream
The Problem of Choice: Predestination or Poor Judgment?
The Stand: It's the Journey That Counts
The Right to Govern
Hope vs. Despair: "Do people ever really learn anything?"
Four: The Nitty Gritty
Writing Style: "The Prose Is Indistinguishable"
Genre Choice: Today Is a Good Day to End the World?
Popular Appeal: The Kiss of Death?
Five: The Dark Tower Connections
Some New American Heroes
The Lady of Shadows
The Boy
Not in Kansas Anymore
Six: All God's Chillun' Should Stand
"The Body": Ray Brower Meets a Train
IT: Clowns, Sewers, and Spiders
The Losers' Club
IT's Minions
"You Can't Be Careful on a Skateboard"
Grown-Ups Are the Real Monsters
American Horrors
Dreamcatcher: Aliens, Old Friends, and Hunting Cabins
Horror Lives Everywhere Every Day
Last Stand
Final Thoughts
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
