Good vs Evil

[Hard Rock Mom]

I've noticed that the reoccurring theme of "good versus evil" exists in almost all of Mr. King's works and that good always triumphs. I wonder if he will ever go completely over to the dark side and let evil win in one of his works? Maybe that place is just too dark to venture into especially with the state of the world today.

[Moderator]

It's not a book per se, but Storm of the Century might be one that meets that criteria.

[Ubasti]

I watched Storm of the Century as well as bought the screenplay (thinking it was the book the tv movie was based on) and I do remember it being a dark story that as Mrs. Mod said, would meet the criteria of evil being more of the "winner".

[Sweet One]

WHat about Cujo?

I made a post a long time ago, under another username, before site was revamped, about this. It is proabaly speculation only because King proabably intended the dark events in Cujo to be random, meaningless, and incomrpehensible. the only known connection between the DT novels and Cujo is that the name Cujo means "Sweet One" in High Speech.

But the post was speculatiing on the possibilty that it was NOT random, but Cujo's rabidness, Donna's car breakibg down at Camber's, her affair with Steve Kemp, the Sharp Cereal crash, etc, were all orcatrasted by some evil force connected to the Dark Tower. The monster in Tad Trenton's closet was an evil minion of the Crimson King. The same minion had possessed Frank Dodd, and used Cujo to ensure that Tad croaked. It has been written that Tad was "marked" in the opening passages of the book. Maybe he possessed some kind of latent psychic gift that would prove fatal to the Crimson King--much like Patrick Danville in Insomnia. But unlike Patrick, Tad died because this time the CK won. He succeeded in rubbing out someone who could prove a mortal threat.

It's proabably just me trying to read some meaning into this bleak, bleak novel. But if The Crimson King overlooked that other reality out there, where Tad lived and Bannerman became mayor....

[Draga]

That book gave me the shivers. :oo:

[brownmouse]

Well -nobody can say The Mist movie was a happy ending. Frankly I like happy endings :smile2: But ya never know

[rjt65]

Duno if I agree good always triumphs, i think alot of the red over the white wins... but both sides take severe hits.

Apt pupil- good didn't win, RAGE- good nada, and it is never a clear cut win --lots of good major characters fall, lot of pain and a lot of loss.

the Stand ending did good totally triumph?

Carrie? , ---I could go on... Look at every book and short story---lot of destruction..from the evil side...

[DanishReader]

Cujo and The Dark Tower was not connected. Cujo was just about how life can be cruel, with no purpose at all. Cujo got rabies, period. The Frank Dodd spectre in the closet was not a minion of the Crimson King. Not all of King's works has anything to do with DT.

[Draga]

I would define King's stories like the Yin Yang dichotomy, where good is not completely good and evil not completely bad. Good is supposed to to win, but as everything in universe is cyclical, and you can't eliminate good or evil because they have always existed and they will ever be there, is that why here you've never ending stories where good and evil will continue to fight for the eternity. They can win or loose the battle, but none of them will win the war. That's the idea of the ka thing too, doesn't it?

[poisonbat]

I would have to agree with Storm of the Century, but Needful Things was also pretty close. He did get away ya know.:bat:

[pepino]

The Bachman books don't seem to support this view. The Long Walk is a particular example of how everybody lost. I feel that in most of SK's books the good wins out in the end, but the cost in human life and suffering is very high.

[Hard Rock Mom]

"I remember when good was good and evil was evil; before things became so fuzzy" (Don Henly). Still in all the works referenced, there is that little spark of hope in the end of each book. Even with Storm of the Century our hero does see his son once again so there is "hope" that he will eventually reconnect with him. The good in the ending of The Stand is the birth of Frannie's child (ie good will continue in generations to come).

[bopropadop]

It's been a while since I read it and I don't have it at the moment to refer to... but didn't Thinner end on a down note? Didn't his daughter or wife come home and eat the pie? Or was that an entirely different book/movie?

[Vegetable in Glasses]

bopropadop, I believe you are correct under your spoiler tag. Either one or both (it's been years since I read that one).

[poisonbat]

You know I have been thinking about this one, and not even the Dark Tower had a happy ending. Poor Rolandhaving to go through that hell again, not happy.:bat:

[brownmouse]

bopropadop, I believe you are correct under your spoiler tag. Either one or both (it's been years since I read that one).

Oh, yeah- I remember- it did end rather dour- always freaked me out a bit.

[Shasta]

Cujo and The Dark Tower was not connected. Cujo was just about how life can be cruel, with no purpose at all. Cujo got rabies, period. The Frank Dodd spectre in the closet was not a minion of the Crimson King. Not all of King's works has anything to do with DT.

Actually, they are all connected. Cujo is too, but I won't reveal how here because it would blow my years of research.

[marew1]

I'm in agreement with Storm of the Century but I would include Pet Semetary as well.

[Haunted]

Duno if I agree good always triumphs, i think alot of the red over the white wins... but both sides take severe hits.

Apt pupil- good didn't win, RAGE- good nada, and it is never a clear cut win --lots of good major characters fall, lot of pain and a lot of loss.

the Stand ending did good totally triumph?

Carrie? , ---I could go on... Look at every book and short story---lot of destruction..from the evil side...

Evil never goes away?????

[shangirl]

"I remember when good was good and evil was evil; before things became so fuzzy" (Don Henly). Still in all the works referenced, there is that little spark of hope in the end of each book. Even with Storm of the Century our hero does see his son once again so there is "hope" that he will eventually reconnect with him. The good in the ending of The Stand is the birth of Frannie's child (ie good will continue in generations to come).

I have to disagree with the fact that because he saw his son again there was hope... I think he was allowed to see his son and what he had become just for the torture of it. Remember when lenoige said, "In time he will come to call me father?" I think that was his way of saying "see told ya so"...

[Balrog21]

I would say that it is a 50/50 toss up with all his writings. You win some, you lose some. That is the way of life, and one thing Mr. King gives us is life with no holds barred. In fact he gives it to us right smack in the face. He is honest in all his writings and I admire the hell out of him for it!
Best,
Bal