Night Shift

In stories such as “Jerusalem’s Lot” and “Graveyard Shift,” the atmosphere, or how the setting makes readers feel, almost functions like a character. Choose another story that makes use of its setting in this manner and examine the techniques King uses.

King often describes his horror as allegorical. Choose two stories and examine their allegorical meanings. Be sure to suggest the actual fears and experiences that King might be trying to approach though his use of allegory.

Compare “Strawberry Spring” and “The Man Who Loved Flowers.” How does King thematically explore The Relationship Between the Unconscious and Conscious Mind in both stories?

King makes use of nostalgia and the re-evaluation of memory throughout the collection. Select two stories that incorporate nostalgia. How does King use nostalgia to develop the narrative perspectives, and how does nostalgia influence the stories’ moods?

Examine Lester Billings, from “The Boogeyman,” as a father. Compare him to the other fathers King directly and indirectly incorporates throughout the collection. Are there more similarities or differences in the way King portrays these figures?

How does King characterize his heroes? Cite evidence from the stories and explain how King’s take differs from how heroes are typically portrayed.

“The Last Rung on the Ladder” examines the way grief contorts precious memories. Choose another story in the collection that demonstrates how grief can affect our perceptions and compare King’s execution of theme and other key literary elements.

Several stories in this collection explore spiritual practices and the human relationship to ritual. Along with “Children of the Corn” and “The Lawnmower Man,” choose another story with a similar focus and detail how this theme is used in all three.