The Man Who Loved Flowers
Thomas Mahoney
2-15-13
ENG 112
The Man Who Loved Flowers This story starts out in a very peaceful innocent setting, in New York City. There is a sense of love in the air, and the smell of spring. There is a man walking along the streets in a gray streets turning everyones attention because then can tell he is happy and in love. This story takes place in May of 1963 right before the summer starts. Stephen King is extremely descriptive in the story with the man's appearance; "He had that look about him. He was dressed in a light grey suit, the narrow tie pulled down a little, his top collar button undone. His hair was dark and cut short. His complexion was fair, his eyes a light blue. Not an extraordinary face, but on this soft spring evening, on this avenue, in May of 1963, he was beautiful"(King) The interesting thing about this story is how it seems so beautiful and peaceful, but draws a thin line with insanity. The first sense of something being wrong in the story is when the man goes to buy flowers, and there is a radio playing a news program talking about a hammer murder that was on the loose, but this is immediately dismissed because everything seems so perfect in the moment. As the man walks away he hesitates and touches something in his pocket, which foreshadows what could happen later in the story. "The young man passed the flower-stand and the sound of the bad news faded. He hesitated, looked over his shoulder, and thought it over. He reached into his coat pocket and touched the something in there again. For a moment his face seemed puzzled, lonely, almost haunted, and then, as his hand left the pocket, it regained its former expression of eager expectation."(King) The imagery in this story is so beautiful and down to earth for almost the whole story, until it becomes dark and depressing at the end. King goes from writing about flowers, the beautiful spring weather, love being in the air, kids loving life and playing, to a hammer, blood everywhere,
2-15-13
ENG 112
The Man Who Loved Flowers This story starts out in a very peaceful innocent setting, in New York City. There is a sense of love in the air, and the smell of spring. There is a man walking along the streets in a gray streets turning everyones attention because then can tell he is happy and in love. This story takes place in May of 1963 right before the summer starts. Stephen King is extremely descriptive in the story with the man's appearance; "He had that look about him. He was dressed in a light grey suit, the narrow tie pulled down a little, his top collar button undone. His hair was dark and cut short. His complexion was fair, his eyes a light blue. Not an extraordinary face, but on this soft spring evening, on this avenue, in May of 1963, he was beautiful"(King) The interesting thing about this story is how it seems so beautiful and peaceful, but draws a thin line with insanity. The first sense of something being wrong in the story is when the man goes to buy flowers, and there is a radio playing a news program talking about a hammer murder that was on the loose, but this is immediately dismissed because everything seems so perfect in the moment. As the man walks away he hesitates and touches something in his pocket, which foreshadows what could happen later in the story. "The young man passed the flower-stand and the sound of the bad news faded. He hesitated, looked over his shoulder, and thought it over. He reached into his coat pocket and touched the something in there again. For a moment his face seemed puzzled, lonely, almost haunted, and then, as his hand left the pocket, it regained its former expression of eager expectation."(King) The imagery in this story is so beautiful and down to earth for almost the whole story, until it becomes dark and depressing at the end. King goes from writing about flowers, the beautiful spring weather, love being in the air, kids loving life and playing, to a hammer, blood everywhere,