Almost Done With Delores Claiborne

Delores Claiborne was a really interesting book- about choices. All throughout the book Delores makes decisions- decisions that didn't always seem like the easy way out. The decisions were always interesting, mainly because as she became more experienced, her sense changed. She started doing what had to be done, instead of what seemed easier.

In the beginning, Delores wouldn't put much thought behind her decisions; "I had six weeks' worth of baby girl in my belly when I told him I did n I would, until death do us part. And that was the saddest part of it...sad but true. The rest of it was all the usual stupid reasons, and one thing I've learned in my life is stupid reasons make stupid marriages. I was tired of fighting with my mother. I was tired of bein scolded with my father. All my friends were doing it, they was gettin homes of their own, and I wanted to be a grownup like them; I was tired of bein a silly little girl."(56) Delores didn't put any thought into her marriage, and that one mistake taught her to be more careful when it came to life decisions. It's interesting how that one mistake formed the rest of her story. Without it, her life would be so different. I wonder if she would have changed it if she could.

Later on, Delores put more thought into her actions. She was careful- when McAuliffe was questioning her, Delores would count to three in her head before she answered each question, "Doin that might keep me from movin to quick and paying for it by falling into one of the pits he'd dug for me."(236) Delores thought out everything. When she found out that Joe had stolen the kids college fund, she spent months trying to figure out how to react to the information.

Delores changed. Throughout the book, Delores learned from her mistakes, and didn't make them twice. Many times she said: "fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."(32, 38) The character change is really interesting, and I admire Delores for it.

The Forces of Stephen King

After reading 4 (and a half) of his books, I am noticing that in each one, there is an overruling force that guides the characters, to or from evil. This theme is interesting to this genre. In every book, the characters do not have a will of their own.

In The Stand, each force was powerful in its own way. The good force was gentle, and brought the truly good survivors to be together and grow as a civilization. The alternative force, the evil force exploited someones misgivings. These misgivings were exploited until the misgivings grew into hate, and that hate was used and controlled. But if you weren't good, you were brought to Las Vegas with no will of your own.

In The Shining, the force was the hotel. The hotel tempted Jack to drink, to kill. "'I believe you must take it up with your son, Mr. Torrance, sir. He understands everything, although he hasn't enlightened you. Rather naughty of him if I may be so bold, sir. In fact, he's crossed you at every turn, hasn't he? And him not yet six.''Yes,' Jack said. 'he has.' There was another wave of laughter from behind them. 'He needs to be corrected, if you don't mind me saying so. He needs a good talking-to, and perhaps a bit more. My own girls, sir, didn't care for the Overlook at first. One of them actually stole a pack of my matches and tried to burn it down. I corrected them. I corrected them most harshly. And when my wife tried to stop me from doing my duty I corrected her'"(533) The hotel was slowly manipulating Jack, and it terrified Wendy and Danny, while it took Jack's body and mind and used him to control everything.

In Misery, it was Annie. If you see a previous post (Misery: part one, metaphor) Paul refers to Annie as the goddess- an immortal, ever powerful being with only one objective: to torture, to destroy, to corrupt, to detain. Paul became scared and weak.

In Pet Cemetery, it was the burial ground. In this book, the power was amplified. "'this place has a power, Louis...it's been full of power before, and I'm ascared it's coming round to full again'"(397)

It's interesting how the manipulation, the telepathy, the power works. The characters never question it- it was always there, so why be surprised? It's interesting that it works, and how it works, and slowly the time falls into place, and then it ends. I wonder what it shows about our society- books are depictions of our society after all,but what does it mean after wards? To me, it speaks that there always was a power, and we do not control anything. It will end, and the ending is unpredictable, and we cannot control it.

1/2 way through Duma Key by Stephen King

"I was thinking of how I'd started my time on Duma Key with one assumption-- that I had chosen the place-- and since come to believe that it had chosen me..."(248) In my book, Duma Key by Stephen King, Edgar Freemantel was injured in an accident that resulted in the loss of his right arm, as well as his marriage. He then moved to Duma Key, and is slowly finding out that there is more to the island than what meets the eye. I notice that the characters refer to their life before coming to Duma Key as their 'other life'. I  think is shows how separate the two ways are (the organized, vivid but painful life prior to the island, verses the flowing majestic, healing ways of Duma Key.) I think it's interesting how the characters are adapting to their  new surroundings. 

Edgar Freemantel's change took place slowly. When he first came to Duma Key he was not much different than how he is now. He  had already come to terms with his divorce, and was continuing his life. But i do notice that he is more accepting of the power of the island. He knows that he has to listen to the itch, (the phantom itch that he feels in his missing arm) He knows that what comes from his paintings are powerful, and that he needs to nurture his gift;  "The itch in my missing arm deepened. By now it felt almost like a friend." (253) Edgar also understands much more than he used to, "I thought of painting in Little Pink while The Bone pumped out hardcore rock and roll in thick chunks. I thought of the Great Beach Walks. I even thought of the Baumgarten kid yelling Yo Mr. Freedmantel, nice chuck! when I spun the frisbee back to him. Then I thought of waking up in the hospital bed, how dreadfully hot I had been, how scattered my thoughts had been, how sometimes I couldn't remember my own name. The anger. The dawning realization (it came during the Jerry Springer Show), that a part of my body was AWOL. I has started crying and had been unable to stop. 'I wouldn't change it back' I said, 'in a heartbeat.'" (293)  Edgar hadn't changed in many ways, but he new that he belonged on Duma Key. 

Wireman is Edgars friend, and had also undergone a trauma to the brain. Wireman shot himself in the head after his wife and only child died in separate accidents on the same day. But now, Wireman, once dismally depressed from the tragedy, now recognizes that all he can do is live the rest of his life to the fullest; "'That man was so hurt and lost he really wasn't responsible. This is my other life, and I try to look at my problems in it as...well...birth defects.'"(233) Wireman slowly recovered from his 'birth defects' 

I think Duma Key changes a character in many ways. In most Stephen King books there is an overlying power that is dominant over the characters. In Duma Key, It's the island, and the change in characters are foreshadowed and show in Edgar's painting. I wonder what changes will occur later on in the story, and I wonder how those changes will effect the plot and climax.