The good and the evil

[Giuly]

In allmost all SK stories the Good triumphes on the Evil.
I'd like to know if SK really believes that, I mean does he think that "Good" can defeat "Evil"?
Everything we hear every day from what is around us (from the TV but also in our everyday life) let me think that "Evil" is everywhere and always wins.
Sorry for any error, I am italian, I am trying to manage with your language as well as I can.

[fredo]

I think (hope) if he writes it he believes it. Evil abounds, but good is everywhere. I hope that in the end, evil loses. My thoughts.
Welcome and peace.

[Mr. Palmer]

I'd be interested to know that, too.

Have you read any of the Bachman books? "Evil" usually manages to win in those.

[Rhett]

hmm . . . I would have to say that most often it seems evil at least earns itself a draw in most of SK's books . . . Look at the ending of Needful Things . . . or Firestarter . . . its easy to say 'Ha! The bad guy has been defeated!' - but if you look at his books it always seems like the 'evil' always gets its share and is not completely defeated . . . it just sulks off and waits until its time comes again . . . I would say SK never leaves a clear cut victor because there is always the indication that the fight will continue . . .

[michal]

Desperation, The Long Walk, The Regulators, the last DT book, Secret Window, Apt Pupil, Cujo (not that that crazed dog was "Evil" in my eyes), Storm of the Century, Pet Semetary and even The Stand don't end all that well for The Good Guys, and that's just a few examples I can think of.
Also, even in books like 'Salem's Lot or Duma Key, the heroes find themselves triumphed, but after loosing all that they have.

One of the things I like about Mr. King books is that no character is safe, not even the most righteous ones. Small blonde child, sweet tempered dog or a loving parent - they can all go in a flick of a page.

[~Ally~]

Have you read any of the Bachman books? "Evil" usually manages to win in those.

Not necessarily. Clayton Blaisdell Jr certainly didn't win anything in his whole crummy life. Billy Halleck may have beaten the rap in Thinner, yet he paid seriously for his actions. As for the other stories, they tend to have endings which leave the reader to summise on the outcome, so does evil ever really succeed or do our mind's choose that to be the truth?

Unfortunately there will always be instances of evil triumphing in real life, we just need to look at the world or local news every day to witness that. Yet for every bad thing that happens I like to believe there are at least one hundred good things happening to counteract the effect on the world.
*Yeah I'm a bit of a hippy I know...but I like it.*

[Mephisto]

Although the forces of darkness manage a fair amount of success, and sometimes outright victories, in some of Stephen King's works, it does seem that usually good will prevail in his fictive universe. Often, this seems to come about because a group of basically good people manage to unite in some time of need and together defeat the monster, or whatever the Bad Thing happens to be in that book. In fact, in my more cynical moments, that would be my biggest gripe about Stephen King's books . . . judging by the contents of his books, he seems to be a little too optimistic about human nature. On the other hand, it really is nice to see the good guys come out on top, sometimes, so I don't complain about this too often.