27 pages • 54 minutes read
Stephen KingThe Boogeyman
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1973A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Closet Door
For much of the story, the closet door, slightly ajar, is the only physical indication of the Boogeyman’s presence. This is reinforced so often that the open closet door becomes a representation of the monster itself. Every time we encounter it in the narrative, we know that we either just missed the Boogeyman or that he will appear at any moment.
The closet door motif illustrates the story’s theme of The Nature of Fear and, more specifically, fear of the unknown. The depiction of a monster lurking inside an ordinary piece of furniture taps into our primal fear of things we cannot see and do not understand. The recurring image of the closet door open “just a crack” (103) represents the potential invasion of the unknown into everyday life.
Domestic Violence
The motif of domestic violence perpetrated by Lester reinforces the theme of Supernatural Versus Human Monstrosity. For Lester’s family, the Boogeyman was not the only threatening entity in the house. Lester’s violence echoes that of the Boogeyman. The first violent incident happens in the build-up to Denny’s death, when Lester says his son cried every time he was put to bed. Lester tells Dr. Harper he began putting the boy to bed himself, and if he cried, Lester would “give him a whack” (102). He later says that when Denny first mentioned the Boogeyman, he confronted his wife about it and was tempted to “slap her around a little” (103). It is not only these accounts of domestic violence that are disturbing but also Lester’s manner of describing them. The casual way he refers to these incidents suggests he views his violence as justified and acceptable. His attitude highlights the monstrosity of normalized domestic abuse.
Claws
Much like the closet door, the Boogeyman’s claws become a reference to the monster as a whole as the story progresses. The first instance of synecdoche (a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole) occurs when Lester is discussing Shirl’s death. Soon before the Boogeyman claimed her, Lester heard his daughter screaming about “claws.” He admits that it sounded more like “craws,” as she had trouble with the “L” sound, but even when Dr. Harper suggests that Shirl may have been trying to say “closet,” Lester insists it was “claws.” Lester’s fixation on this part of the monster is emphasized when he repeats the word almost to himself: “Claws, long claws” (105). This repetition highlights the Boogeyman’s increasing hold on Lester’s imagination, suggesting how fear has figuratively got its claws into him. Evoking predatory imagery, the threat of claws pierces through physical and emotional defenses.
Related Titles
By Stephen King
