MISERY

What is the first incident that proves that Annie Wilkes is unstable? Theme  of Isolation? 

The first "crazy" incident is when Annie gets so incredibly angry that Paul killed off the main character in his famous Misery Novels. Annie grew attached to the character and reading her death caused her much grief. Her reaction is anything but normal. Yes, people grieve when a beloved character dies, but she went overboard. She was throwing things and making him drink dirty dish water. Her mood swings were getting obvious and Paul was getting scared. This also outlines the main theme of isolation. She doesn't interact with normal people, only her animals and books. So when someone in her favourite novel dies, she reacts as if it were a real person. This shows how unstable she really is. 

 

 

What are the three clues that prove that Paul left the room? Theme of irony?

The first and most obvious clue was that Paul left Annie’s hair pin in the lock. She heard it rattling one day while he was sleeping and secretly opened the handle only to find her bent hair pin. The second clue was the wheelchair marks on the door frame. The pin and marks only added up to one explanation. The third and final clue was when she used her hair like a piece of string to see what was open and what stayed the same. She put a piece of hair along her memory lane book and when Paul opened it, the piece of hair snapped. This proves that Paul had left his room. The irony about these clues is that Paul thought he had gotten away with his escape. He was relieved that his plan actually worked when actually Annie knew the whole time. Since the beginning she had been on to him and played him like a fool. He thought she was stupid and naive, but was he wrong because she very well outsmarted him. 

 

Why do you think Annie wanted Paul to read her Memory Lane scrapbook? Theme of fear and honesty?

There are two reasons why I think she would want Paul to read the book. The first one is that she only wanted honesty between her and Paul. I think she knew the whole time that she would use her gun on the both of them, so why bother hiding her true identity. She was falling for Paul and just wanted all her secrets out.  I think there is a strange theme of infatuation and love. She was so infatuated by his writing and then fell in love with the actual person. She only wanted what was best for him, even if that meant she needed her gun to stop his misery. She thought everyone was a rat in a cage and Paul was slowing turning into that caged rat. The second reason, which is the total opposite, is that Annie wanted Paul to be afraid of her. She gave him the knowledge of what she was capable of doing. If she killed innocent new born’s then what makes him think she won’t kill him. This shows another theme of fear and saving ones life. He wanted to live long enough to finish his book because the only reason he woke up in the morning was to finish the book. He was fearful that he wouldn’t finish, as stupid as that sounds. 

 

 

How does the setting emphasis the theme of isolation?

The setting was in a town, deep in the mountains of Colorado. Annie Wilkes’s farm was in the middle of nowhere, and any form of civilization was nonexistent. I guess you could say she wanted to be alone. She thought everyone was a rat in a cage, all “dirty Birds”. She wanted to separate herself from all the low lives. This separation from reality can cause a person to lose their mind, and that is exactly what happened. She thought everyone in town was out to get her, so was suffering from paranoia and some amnesia. Living with only her animals and reality television shows, she didn’t have anything to live for anymore. The books were the only thing that captured her isolation and broke her out of her misery. When she mentions the overlook hotel, my mind automatically connected to the shinning by Stephen King. This added a sense of something haunted and forgotten, since the hotel is known for its tragic reputation. These all add to the theme of isolation. 

 

 

 

Why didn’t Paul say a word when David and Goliath appeared? Theme of Redemption?

This scene proves just how courageous Paul is. He had a chance to escape, a chance to make it out alive. But that chance was not good enough. He wanted her to trust him, and he wanted to keep his word on not making a sound. He also thought that jail was not enough for Annie Wilkes. He wanted to watch her suffer, and at that moment king introduces the theme of redemption. The last and final act in this novel.  Paul had a few ideas in store. He contemplated slashing his wrists open and killing himself just to tease her. But he wanted to live. Not for the sake of himself, but for Misery. He was going to fight for his life. No more vulnerability or suffering.  How will Paul redeem himself? How will he kill the crazy bitch?