WARNING: IF YOU DISLIKE INTELLECTUAL CONVERSATION OR LITERARY ANALYSIS, TURN AWAY NOW
The following paper is a literary analysis of the novel Rage by Stephen King (under psyuedoname Richard Bachman) and how it applies to the American Gothic Genre as a whole. Despite the books controversial and untimely manner in light of recent events, it is pure coincidence and this paper was written prior to the recent shooting. I would appreciate your opinions in the comments below, enjoy!
Throughout the ages, the gothic/horror genre has been a literary staple across numerous countries and continents. Although different cultures and authors added their own style to the genre, it remained relatively constant through time; that is until the American Gothic genre emerged. This unconventional form of storytelling took traditional ideas and turned them on their head, presenting new forms of conflicts, villains, and narration to convey mood. The genre has matured over the years, and Stephen King’s controversial novel, Rage, shows clear evidence of the genres classic style as well as how it has evolved from its roots.
The first and most evident way that Rage sets itself away from most horror novels is its choice of conflict and subject matter. Much like many traditional American Gothic stories, King decided not to use external conflicts such as ghosts or goblins, but instead to convey internal conflicts we fight within ourselves. The story is based around Charlie Decker, a boy who murders his high school teacher and holds his class hostage from the police throughout the course of a day. However, instead of Charlie or the police being labeled as a protagonist or antagonist of the story, the true conflict is fought internally. This new, deeper type of conflict allowed for much more compelling moral decisions the reader would have to face.
The next key element of Rage, and the genre as a whole, is it’s use of first person narrative. Instead of using an outside or unbiased narrator to convey storytelling, Rage uses an entirely first-person perspective to tell the story. This, coupled with the fact that the main character’s sanity is in question, creates a tone of uncertainty and doubt as to what can really be believed. Such forms of narration are commonplace throughout the genre, with Rage drawing clear inspiration from works such as “The Tell Tale Heart”, by Edgar Allen Poe, in which the main character is also in questionable mental health while narrating the story from their own view. This narration technique is further emphasized by the authors choice of diction, using pronouns such as “I” or “me”, creating a pretense to the reader that they are thinking and feeling what the narrator is conveying in the story, further blurring the line between fiction and reality.
The final and most important piece of the puzzle to Rage is how it instigates introspective thought upon the reader. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, “The Minister’s Black Veil”, the reader is told the story of a minister who one day decides to hide his face behind a black veil, keeping himself out of the sight of others. As his life continues despite requests for him to remove the veil, he attracts others who wear this “veil” to his sermons, eventually causing his friends and family to leave him up until the day of his death. In this case, the true importance of this story is not in its literally meaning, but instead in what the veil symbolizes to each individual reader. To some, the veil may denote dark secrets or regrets people hold within themselves, invoking feelings of compunction or remorse. While to others, the story may exemplify thoughts of hiding one’s true self to the world, creating a false persona in fear of rejection from those around them. In a very similar fashion, Rage brings up a plethora of common insecurities that many people may identify with. By making the reader identify with Charlie Decker, an individual who would be normally ostracized and rejected from society, the reader will even more ashamed and disconcerted with themselves. With all of these layers of mental strain put upon the reader, Rage uses all of it’s aspects to manipulate ones feelings to full extent.
In conclusion, Rage presents an exemplary model to represent American Gothic Fiction as a whole. It combines a plethora of literary devices that the genre is famous for, as well as introducing modern additions to improve the mold. Most importantly, it encourages deep, reflective thought that feed upon individuals different fears and reservations. This dynamic form of storytelling ensures that although the story may be read thousands of times, like a snowflake, each readers time with the book will comprise of a unique moral and didactic experience.