The Body Stephen King Character Analysis

In Stephen King novella “The body” one of the main theme is the relationships between the main characters and their family. Throughout, the whole novella the main characters Teddy, Chris, Vern and Gordie, lack the support of a strong masculine figure. These young boys are at a crucial point in their life, where if they are not given the right teachings and time, their life will turn into a disaster. Also throughout the novella there is no mention of a convincing feminine figure to guide the main characters towards success, so it is extremely important for the main characters to have a strong masculine figure. Without the help of a strong masculine figure, the main characters will have to depend on themselves and go out and mature in order
Chris came from an abusive and a lower class family. Chris’s father was a drunk and spent most of his time in the bar. Chris’s brothers were also away from him, one ran off and was accused for rape and the other joined a gang and spent most of his time with the gang. According to the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, “Children of alcoholics are impacted with guilt, anxiety, embarrassment, inability to have close relationships, confusion, anger and depression” (Mogul 1). Children of alcoholics tend to go into the wrong direction and make poor decisions in life because they didn't get the correct teaching and time. Chris’s brothers are a great example of growing under an abusive and alcoholic father. Both of the brothers have gone into the wrong path and are lost, this is an effect of bad parenting and abusiveness. Chris is going through the same abusiveness and bad parenting as his brothers went through. This means the lack of a strong family member could lead Chris to a negative and unsuccessful future. Chris was getting abused often by his father, “Chris was marked up every two weeks or so, bruises on his cheeks and neck or one eye swelled up… other times he never go to school at all. His mom would call him in sick because he was too lamped up to come in” (King 306). Chris’s father did not care much about Chris and was unconscious most of the time when he was home. At times Chris took advantage of it,
Gordie had an older brother named Dennis, but he died in a car accident. This was life changing for Gordie because the only person that supported Gordie in his family was Dennis. Dennis was someone who Gordie looked up to and understood that Dennis is the one who will guide Gordie to a better future. When Dennis was alive, Gordie was never noticed at home by any of his parents, Gordie even once said “I was like the Invisible Boy” (King 298). It was like Gordie’s parents only wanted one child, and that was Dennis. This was a point in Gordie’s life where he needed someone to help him from collapsing. But Gordie’s parents paid even less attention to Gordie after Dennis’s death. Gordie’s father is similar to Vern’s father because both fathers do not abuse their child, but on the other side, they don't give the desired attention to their kids. Gordie’s relationship with his father is not strong. He would talk to his father and all, but it is not that strong of a father son relationship. Gordie’s dad also hates Gordie’s friends and calls them thieves. This shows that Gordie’s father is aware of Gordie’s surroundings and is paying little attention to him. But not keeping track of where Gordie is all day and what he is doing, makes Gordie’s father a weak example of a strong father. Gordie also is looking for a sense of belonging outside of his house and during the trip he saw something that made