62 pages • 2 hours read
Stephen KingA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Introduced by Professor Marty Burkett, the Ritual of Chüd requires Jamie to literally embrace the evil that haunts him. Only when he embraces Therriault/The Deadlight can he take it into himself and control it. Symbolically, he is confronting his own dark side—in this case, his ability to speak to the dead (and the responsibility that comes with it). However, while Jamie can coax truth from the dead, they can also haunt him.
Jamie would rather let the deadlight go and be rid of it forever, but the message of the ritual is that one can never be free of darkness. If one tries to escape it, it will be able to control them. In order to take his first step toward adulthood, toward manhood, Jamie can’t change his mind and push his demon away. After Jamie performs the ritual, Professor Burkett warns him to never call on the demon—however, Liz forces him to summon his inner darkness. But unlike Liz, Jamie wields his darkness in a responsible way.
Stephen King uses the motif of illness, both physical and mental, to represent the consequences of giving in to one’s inner darkness. Uncle Harry gave in to temptation and lust when he took advantage of his younger sister Tia, Jamie’s mother— though the novel doesn’t specify the exact circumstances of Jamie’s conception.
By Stephen King
11.22.63
Stephen King
1408
Stephen King
Bag of Bones
Stephen King
Billy Summers
Stephen King
Carrie
Stephen King
Children of the Corn
Stephen King
Cujo
Stephen King
Different Seasons
Stephen King
Doctor Sleep
Stephen King
Dolores Claiborne
Stephen King
Duma Key
Stephen King
Elevation: A Novel
Stephen King
End of Watch
Stephen King
Fairy Tale
Stephen King
Finders Keepers
Stephen King
Firestarter
Stephen King
From a Buick 8
Stephen King
Full Dark, No Stars
Stephen King
Gerald's Game
Stephen King
Gwendy's Button Box
Stephen King, Richard Chizmar
Books that Feature the Theme of...
View Collection
Coming-of-Age Journeys
View Collection
Fantasy
View Collection
Horror, Thrillers, & Suspense
View Collection
Memory
View Collection
Mystery & Crime
View Collection
New York Times Best Sellers
View Collection
Religion & Spirituality
View Collection
Safety & Danger
View Collection
The Best of "Best Book" Lists
View Collection
Truth & Lies
View Collection
TV Shows Based on Books
View Collection