The Boogeyman
“The Boogeyman” - Stephen King (1978) Summary:
Lester Billings, the father of three children is talking to a shrink. He seems mentally disturbed. His first two children died of mysteriously courses, but both of the children had cried boogeyman right before their death. After Lester had his third son, one night the son screams and Lester sees that a boogeyman is killing his son, but Lester doesn’t help his son, instead he runs away and when he returns his son is dead. When Lester Billings leaves his shrink, he sees that the shrink is actually the boogeyman.
Their marriage:
Lester and Rita Billings' marriage has probably never been characterized by equality. He is the kind of man who believes that women's station in life is to follow their husbands.(page 5.)
When Rita denies that she has taught Denny the word "Boogeyman", he calls her a liar and feels like "slapping her around." This certainly indicates the opposite to a marriage based on mutual confidence, love, and support.
Lester does not have very much respect for Rita. I think he has married her out of necessity. Now he tries to imagine that their marriage is happy, perfect and like his mother wanted it to be. Lester actually thinks that Rita is a jellyfish. I think he sees every woman as jellyfish -something, which is inferior. He has to control Rita: "She still wanted to do what I told her. That’s the wife’s place, right? This women’s lib makes people sick. The most important thing in life for a person is to know his place." Page 5.
Time
Seen in a perspective of time the majority the American population regarded pregnancy before marriage as a grave matter. The marriage between Lester Billings and his wife does not seem to be the happy ending of some love story. They were both very young, and the reason why they got married was the unexpected pregnancy, LB left college to get a job and support the little family. The marriage was, somewhat, a solution to the situation at the time, a solution
Lester Billings, the father of three children is talking to a shrink. He seems mentally disturbed. His first two children died of mysteriously courses, but both of the children had cried boogeyman right before their death. After Lester had his third son, one night the son screams and Lester sees that a boogeyman is killing his son, but Lester doesn’t help his son, instead he runs away and when he returns his son is dead. When Lester Billings leaves his shrink, he sees that the shrink is actually the boogeyman.
Their marriage:
Lester and Rita Billings' marriage has probably never been characterized by equality. He is the kind of man who believes that women's station in life is to follow their husbands.(page 5.)
When Rita denies that she has taught Denny the word "Boogeyman", he calls her a liar and feels like "slapping her around." This certainly indicates the opposite to a marriage based on mutual confidence, love, and support.
Lester does not have very much respect for Rita. I think he has married her out of necessity. Now he tries to imagine that their marriage is happy, perfect and like his mother wanted it to be. Lester actually thinks that Rita is a jellyfish. I think he sees every woman as jellyfish -something, which is inferior. He has to control Rita: "She still wanted to do what I told her. That’s the wife’s place, right? This women’s lib makes people sick. The most important thing in life for a person is to know his place." Page 5.
Time
Seen in a perspective of time the majority the American population regarded pregnancy before marriage as a grave matter. The marriage between Lester Billings and his wife does not seem to be the happy ending of some love story. They were both very young, and the reason why they got married was the unexpected pregnancy, LB left college to get a job and support the little family. The marriage was, somewhat, a solution to the situation at the time, a solution