King’s Devil: An Analysis of the Mind as Its Worst Enemy
I haven’t read much of King’s works; like many I’ve seen more than I have read. Of the stories so far that I believe prey completely on the mind, I think “The Road Virus Heads North” is the one that for me most plays with not only the minds of the characters, but with the reader’s mind.
It has been ages since I have not been able to turn off my light before going to bed. In fact, I don’t believe there has ever been a time when I felt so unsure about the world and its possibilities (even its limitless potential has been unable to halt me from communing Morpheous), until I read this story. I have never been so completely scared. I laugh at the Exorcist, and yet something as simple as a painting has the complete power over me.
King does a superb job of making us see what he wants us to see. So well does he do this that we can look at the paintings hanging in our own homes and start to wonder, “What if?” We are helpless in his world, the world he “created” of a horror author and his own final complete meltdown and erasure of the line he has so carefully drawn between his world and the world in which he creates. He becomes his own character, and he makes us a character of his story as well. We see a merging of his world, his creation and our own worlds. That is what scared me most; that all that separates his world from ours and The Road Virus’ is the separate births of art; humanity, visual art and literature.
The Road Virus is that nightmare that somewhere out there, there is something coming to get us. Life is coming to get us, however long it takes, it eventually will. Everything is connected. In the story our fictitious author shows the painting to his aunt, a painting which will eventually kill her. Something so insignificant as selling a painting, buying a painting and just viewing a painting seals the characters’ fate.
Doesn’t that happen in the real world? Aren’t we eventually bitten in the end by that devil that has been chasing us? Cancer seems the most obvious. Those who die of cancer did something to bring it on – whether it is smoking or not getting checked regularly. Drunk driving, while the victim is going on his or her merry sober way they have no idea that somewhere out there, there is someone getting toasted who will kill them; the driver takes his first drink and the count down has begun. Even death of old age is its own destroyer; as it is that long life that will eventually be one’s undoing.
That is what is most unsettling about this story. We encounter similar situations everyday. The only difference is that in each of us, it is different. After analysis, this story reminds me much of The Five People You Meet in Heaven, about a man coming to terms with his own fate and the fate of others in which he played a part. A little boy runs into the middle of a street after his ball, and almost gets hit by a car. The driver, so shaken eventually meets fate shortly after, all because of a near miss. I congratulate Mr. King for putting life into perspective, through a ridiculous and terrifying tale.
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- I am a loyal and true friend. And a bitch to those people that have the nerve to fuck with me or anyone I am loyal and true to.
- I have a thing for shoes. And purses. When in a bad mood either will cheer me up.
- I am a romantic at heart. Fowers, compliments. Holding the door open. The works.
- I take pride in cleaning my home. It is small, but it is immaculate.
- I get easily upset by those people who don't pick up after themselves in my home.
- I pride myself on my integrity. I work hard to not allow my inner demons to wreak havoc. Disrespect that and you've earned yourself an enemy for life.
- I lived most of my life in NYC. Therefore, I suffer from displaced city-dweller symdrome. I can not wrap my mind around country folk, politics or economics sometimes.
- I have a 134 I.Q.
- I am proud of my 134 I.Q.
- My brother has a 165 I.Q.
- I am jealous of my brother's 165 I.Q.
- My uncle has my brother beat.
- I want to be just like my uncle.
- I am very very Irish.
- I have a very large, very Irish family.
- I have a good five years of conservatory training in music under my belt (why five? because I did not go to my academics one year).
- I want a brand. Two side corsets and a back corset. I also want a number of more piercings that you'd have to ask me about.
- I find the positive in all types of music, including rap and country.
- I lost my virginity a long time ago.
- I hate severe skin problems.
- I have registered independant, but I usually vote republican because that is who I usually agree with. I voted for Kerry in the last election.
- I love to think about my H.S. teachers, because most were special in some way.
- I had a very unique childhood. Too unique to go into here.
- I have two brothers (one blood) and two sisters (none blood).
- I have never met one of my brothers.
- In total, I have (or have had, due to death) a total of 40 aunts and uncles, including their spouses.
- I can do a really amazing Irish accent and do it regularly for fun.
- Normally I have two moods. Really really happy, or really really pissed off.
- I have very low self-esteem, but it is not low enough for me to think really really highly of myself. If you don't understand that, you will never understand me.
- I can not fart in front of people, no matter how close emotionally, or physically. If in public I will excuse myself to a bathroom.
- I am a maniacal driver. But a very precise driver. Thank you Dad.
- There are a lot of pictures I wish I could post, but because they do not match I am unable.
- My favorite pair of shoes are my pink komodos.
- I have a rediculously wide foot so finding shoes that fit is hard.
- I have only recieved a Valentine once in my life. My relationships would always end just in time for Valentine's Day or my birthday.
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I don't like rules. I'm so pathetic, just the fact that you fine people are here at all should be good enough for me. But it isn't. I'm high maintenance like that.
- I am not your pimp. Don't whore yourself through me. Don't post every single one of your websites in a comment. I don't care. I don't want to know. You get ONE link. That is it. OR I get 50% of your gross annual income. You decide.
- If you are going to post a comment it had better be a comment about that post. I hate nothing more than finding a message in my comments. I have a tag board and an email address for messages. If you can't fit your message on the tagboard then email it. If you don't know my email address then obviously you aren't too bright. ::HINT:: It is on this page.
- Don't ask me to link exchange. Only websites I actually like get on my blogroll. Now, if you really really want on...I'll need a sampling of your blood and a snipet of your hair.
- Sometimes the mistakes I have made on this website are intentional. Sometimes they are not. Chances are I have already found them and have not gotten a chance to fix them. Don't tell me about them trying to look all clever and better than thou. I promise you, you are neither more clever than me or smarter than me.
- I don't care if my blog bothers you. I don't put the music on auto-play, so you don't have to listn to it. You don't even have to read it. You don't like it? It makes you unhappy? Click that "X" at the top right hand corner of the screen. Are you on a Mac? Click the red button.
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These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
Lets face it. The little inch of space that people rent on this blog does not equal much. So below are the links to all of my renters. I hope it brings them some kind of traffic, even if not directly!
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Below are the places good enough to rent space to me. Many thanks!
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