You Like It Darker

Compare and contrast the characters of Frank Jalbert in “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream” and Mr. Ludlum in “Finn.” How does their comparison reflect King’s commentary on the pursuit of justice?

Though best known as a writer of speculative fiction, King uses a realism to convey the events of “The Fifth Step,” “Willie the Weirdo, “On Slide Inn Road,” and “Laurie.” Using one or more of these titles, discuss what this use of realism reveals about the author’s worldview.

“The Dreamers” centers on the idea that William craves feeling human and that the fear he experiences during Elgin’s experiments makes him feel more human. Conversely, in “The Turbulence Expert,” Craig Dixon feels that constantly embracing his fear to save lives is negatively impacting his quality of life. What do these stories suggest about fear? Use textual evidence to explore this topic.

Laird Carmody, Butch LaVerdiere, and Danny Coughlin all decide to act toward their better natures when they see someone else in need. However, Laird and Butch are rewarded for their compassion, whereas Danny is severely punished for it. Does the collection have a specific message about whether consequences are always deserved? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Danny is less dynamic than Ella Davis, who antagonizes him throughout much of the story “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream.” What might have changed in this story had King chosen to tell it entirely from Davis’s perspective instead of Danny Coughlin’s? Would this approach have inclined readers to believe Danny’s claims or to find them suspicious?

“Rattlesnakes” challenges the conventional notions of a sequel, bringing back only one major character from King’s 1981 novel, Cujo. What does this suggest about the functions of a sequel? To what extent does it show that a sequel can carry on the story of its predecessor when it uses only one element of the original story? Use textual evidence in exploring this topic.

“The Answer Man” took King nearly 50 years to write. How might the author’s life experience have informed the story’s expansive scope?

William Davis’s participation in the Vietnam War recalls King’s 1999 collection of novellas and stories, Hearts in Atlantis, which prominently features the same historical event as a recurring motif. How does “The Dreamers” add to the author’s depiction of the Vietnam War and its cultural effects in Hearts in Atlantis? Use textual evidence from both works to examine this topic.