Opinions on Rage

[mayday10]

Rage is OK. I am conducting a personal project (reading SK in release date chronological order).

Out of the 4 I have gone through thus far, I would rank Rage at the bottom. It isnt bad though. It is like The Breakfast Club meets Columbine. I like the thoughts and backstory of Charlie and the progression of the 'society' in the classroom. I am glad the story is only 170 pages. I think this story could be dynamite if it altered a bit, pared down about 25%, and put into one of the short story compilations.

The main thing that bugs me about this story is you really have to suspend belief too much on the human reaction and response to what Charlie Decker is doing.

[Brandon1984]

I was very disappointed with the ending, and I actually felt sorry for Ted. I mean, sure he thinks he is all-that, but his tragic downfall was overblown, way overblown, he was not a jerk enough to deserve that. Think about this, every of the students except Charlie attacked him through psychological and physical manners, then smiled at him with grins feeling that they accomplished doing something right and loving the fact that they tortured Ted to insanity, and as if that is not enough, they never even admitted that they were wrong about what they have done. This is what irritated me the most. I prefer to think this way, the kids probably picked on Ted to make him a better person, because deep down some of them actually cared about (namely Sandra), but instead after they stopped torturing the poor kid, they embraced their sadistic act as the rightest thing they could have ever done.

Now, I appreciate how King had Charlie later comforting Ted, at least King did that, but King was not gracious enough to give Ted a happy ending. I mean, Charlie had a much better time in therapy, was even still appreciated by the students, but Ted was then considered a case that would never get better, probably having no person to console him. Why didn't Charlie just kill him when he had the chance, or why didn't the kids just beat up Ted until he died? That would still have been disturbing, perhaps slightly better. I also strongly despised the fact that "all" the kids (excluding Charlie) picked on Ted, that is what, fourteen against one. Couldn't at least some of the kids pick on him, and why did they need to make the feelings of Ted during the assault so pitiful? I mean, he screamed, he cried, come on. If that is not an exaggeration, then I do not know is.

Now, I have not read the entire story, the rest is probably alright, but the ending is what disturbed me the most. It could have been done in a much better way, as it should have been, but while I think Ted would still need his actions reprimanded, the torturing was so troubling, in both an upsetting and angering way. I have not read all the books in history, but as far as reading books, the ending to me is the worst ending ever. Stephen King used to be a horror writer I admired a lot, but this story ruined that so much. I am sorry for saying this, but I just cannot stress enough how painful the ending was for me to read. Sure, it is just a horror story, but I could imagine that actually happening to someone, and I could empathize with him so much when placing myself in his shoes.

[Brandon1984]

Sorry, I must also mention that I read the entire ending, and two things confuse me. As Dr. Andersen said in the story, Ted is worsening currently being in a flat-line catatonic state with some signs of deterioration. Now, I do not know if King implied that he was going to die, or if his mental state was just going to make him a vegetable, but (and do not take this in the wrong way), I hope Ted does die. I feel empathy for him, but this way, Ted would not have to suffer anymore in such pain and panic, he would not need to remember the school day where he suffered such Hell.

Another thing is that Charlie tells us that his mother sent him the yearbook, which he wishes to read without being nervous. He wants to be completely sure of this, as he does want to believe that there will be no more ink hands of the students, just clean hands. What does he mean by that?

Now, I am not entirely sure if King made a sequel to this, but sorry for mentioning this again, I just do not understand why King had to exaggerate the hellish nightmare Ted suffered, sure Ted was someone with an ego, but come on, his "punishment" could have at least been not as bad. Sure, the kids did not like him, but they could have at least apologized later on and/or wish he was doing well. Instead, it is quite evident that they feel no pity for Ted and were "always" glad of their sadistic act towards him. I know Charlie did care for Ted in the end, but come on, the other students could have just shown a little sympathy.

I know it is too late now, but I wish King wrote a sequel to this, in which Charlie was freed from the treatment center, saw the students and they would consider their wicked actions towards Ted that day. If Ted did die, I wish he would seek revenge on those who bullied him until they were tortured enough out of their wits. Everyone must go through Hell at one point or another, everyone, not just Ted.


Flat-line catatonic state w /some signs of deterioration.

[jcadams]

I dont think the kids were out to drive Ted insane. They were truly trying to help him. They could all sympathize with Charlie because he let them in. For me high school was 20 years ago, but I remember feeling like that. Teen years are just plain rough, and each kid in that room came to see that they had hopes dreams and fears. That they all wanted to be understood and that their own personal shame was something the others understood. Ted couldn't open up and let them see his flaws and I believe that's why they turned on him. He refused to be real person and I honestly believe they were trying to help him. One even states that the last order of business is helping Ted. We don't find out how they each reacted to Teds breakdown but my thought is that they were surprised and shamed by it.

[Brandon1984]

I agree, Carol did say: "We have to help," she said. "We have to help show Ted where he has gone wrong." But, Charlie did say after the incident: "They were smiling at Ted, who hardly looked human at all anymore. In that brief flick of time, they looked like gods, young, wise, and golden. Ted did not look like a god. Ink ran down his cheeks in blue-black teardrops. The bridge of his nose was bleeding, and one eye glared disjointedly toward no place. Paper protruded through his teeth. He breathed in great white snuffles of air."

I might be wrong, but it does seem to me that the kids did not care about the insane fit Ted experienced. They knew he was not taking it well, screaming, crying, loudly and nervously. However, if they knew Ted was eventually going to die due to the overwhelming trauma he experienced, they would probably feel, as you said, shameful and shocked, but unfortunately, we do not know what fate King bestowed upon Ted, but from the looks of it, not a very nice one.

I have a feeling there was someone in high school King especially hated, since he did write on when he was still in high school, but how dramatic must you get. I mean, we all have our "enemies", heck some of the people who were nice to me during school treated me like crap years afterward, and yes, King is a great author, but wow. Still, I think it is a good read, not the best book in the entire world to read, but definitely something worth buying.

What I do not get, though, is this, if they were against Ted so much, why did they not beat him up earlier. I am not saying that would be a good idea either, I'm just a little surprised, I guess.