Needful Things

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
3. Describe the author's tone.  Include three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
4. Describe five literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone.  Include three excerpts that will help your reader understand each one.

1. Leland Gaunt opens a new “antique” shop in Castle Rock called Needful Things. While reading this novel you will IMMEDIATELY get a creepy/mysterious feeling from Mr. Gaunt. Anyone who enters his store finds an object of his or her lifelong dreams and desires. None of his items have price tags, every price is up for debate. Then end result of these negotiations are the customer walks away with his or her “dream iteam” at an unbelievably low price. Seems too good to be true?... Well it is! Gaunt requests that each person perform a little "deed," usually a seemingly innocent prank played on someone else from town. These practical jokes soon cascade out of control and eventually the entire town is in battle with itself. Sheriff Alan Pangborn is the only person who suspects that Gaunt is behind Castle Rocks’ increasingly violent behavior.

2. Human greed and the things people will do for personal gain.

3. Stephen King is VERY descriptive in this novel. From the very beginning the tone was very folksy. “Come on over here, let me shake your hand! Tell you somethin: I recognized you by the way you walk even before I saw your face good. You couldn’t have picked a better day to come back to Castle Rock. Ain’t she a corker?....” As the story unravels the tone begins to alter as well. Mr. Gaunt had a tone of one who gives a eulogy: “Humanity! So noble! So willing to sacrifice the other fellow!” While Mr. Gaunt’s tone may be very “over-the-top” there are characters such as Nettie Cobb who had a very uncertain and frightened tone. “...She reached for this...then hesitated. If the crazy Polish woman was lurking in the back yard, she would see the light go on. And if she saw the light go on, she would know exactly where to look for Nettie’s carnival glass lampshade, wouldn’t she?”

4. Allusions- In the beginning the author makes references to Castle Rock expecting that you have read his previous novels and know what life is like here. “Secrets can and are kept in Castle Rock, but you have to work mighty hard to do it, and most of us know it’s been a long time since Hugh Priest and hard work were on good terms...”

Descriptive- King is very specific in his writing in this novel. He really goes into great depth while telling each different situation. “Alan had read an article in some doctor’s office about black holes-great celestial empty places that seemed to be whirlpools of anti-matter...”

Realism- the horror implicit in Needful Things remains realistic. Those few who break away from Gaunt’s control must live with and take responsibility for the consequences of their actions.

Symbolism- Each item in Gaunt’s store represents evil because of the results they bring.

Foreshadowing- “He felt bewildered...but he also felt very good, as if he had just awakened from a refreshing early-afternoon nap.” With this reaction from receiving and item, especially coming from a young boy, you knew immediately that this store brings out the greed in its customers. And with that comes trouble.