How fear can make you crazy The theme of "The Boogeyman" by Stephen King is fear. In this short story, Stephen King illustrates how fear can drive you crazy. In "The Boogeyman", fear is what drives Lester Billings mad and is the dring force for all decisions. "The Boogeyman" in this short story gives the impression of fear. Lester Billings, a father of three whom were killed by "The Boogeyman". "All I did was kill my kids. One at a time. Killed them all." (King 93) Lester Billings enters the scene as he tells the doctor that he had killed his kids. He continuously tells the doctor he had killed them all and that he wants to be imprisoned. Lester constantly kept looking at the doctors closet and would twitch a bit, giving an impression of scared. Denny, first child of Lester, was killed by "The Boogeyman". He was left alone in a dark room because Lester didn't want his child to be a "sissy", he then finds Denny dead on his back. Since then Lester remembers all the short stories which were told by his mother when he was little and develops fear within himself. When his second child dies that is when he fears the place he lives in and the closet. Lester didn't want another child because he was afraid it can happen to his third child but of course, Lester ended up having another child. When Andy was born, he moved places because there were too many bad memories and he added "And too many closets." (King 101). He acted strange about closets ever since the two events. He would keep his boots in the hall because he didn't like to open closet doors. He would constantly think whether "The Boogeyman" would be there or whether it's ready to get him. A year after he got settled into a new home, "The Boogeyman" came back to get Andy. He remembered all the horror stories and said "Maybe all the monsters we were scared of when we were kids, Frankenstein and Wolfman and Mummy, maybe they were real." (King 101), he couldn't tell from reality to imaginary. Lester has gone crazy whether he was going to get caught by "The Boogeyman". As Lester tells the doctor of what happened to his three children, the doctor thinks he has gone crazy and tells him to make an appointment with the nurse for another time. He wanted to abandon his family so that he can live in the jail, where it's all an opening place with no closet or doors. He wanted to do whatever he could in order for him to get away from his horror. Lester had no choice but to accept the fact that he will be hunted by "The Boogeyman". "One night every door in the house blew open wide open. One morning I got up and found a trail of mud and filth across the hall between the coat closet and the front door." (King 102), he knew "The Boogeyman" came looking for him. He had no choice but to hide himself as his child was being murdered. Lester was alone, his wife was called home by her father and his children were killed, he was all alone. He realized that if he could tell a lie saying he had killed all three of his child, he would be safe in jail. At the end of the story, Lester faces his fear which was "The Boogeyman". In conclusion, Stephen King shows that we must face our fears to self improve ourselves and reach a state of happiness. Stephen King also shows that everything has an end, and if fear can be attained, then there must be a way to forget it.