...The Boogeyman In Stephen King’s short story ‘The Boogeyman’ we are introduced to Lester Billings, a young man, who is visiting a psychiatrist for the simple reason of telling the story of how he killed his three kids. Lester Billings explains that he didn’t kill them himself, but that he was responsible. His story begins with the marriage between his wife Rita and himself. He describes their marriage as happy, but there is many examples indicating the contrary. The relationship between Lester and Rita is very unequal and Rita is being quite repressed by Lester. He doesn’t think she has a right to decide things, because she is a woman and he describes himself as ‘brighter’ than her. He also explains how he got ‘the last word’, whenever she fought for an opinion contrary to his own. Lester is a very old fashion, homophobic, patriotic American with a bit of hatred towards Vietnam, niggers and maybe, women. He sees himself as superior to his wife and he ought to be aggressive and violent if she provokes him in any way. This violent nature of his can also be seen in his upbringing of his children. For example he states that: “If he didn’t stop crying I’d give him a whack”. He also tells the psychiatrist how he sometimes felt like killing both his wife and his children, because they drove him crazy. Lester is a very obstinate man controlled by pride and honor. He wanted to protect the child by bringing him into their bedroom, but his honor forbade him to do it, because then he...
Words: 698 - Pages: 3
...Boogeyman Summary The three children of the separated family father Lester Billings are dead, like a psychiatrist tells, killed by the Boogeyman. The worst thing for Billings is that he has suspected that, when his first child died, and was sure, when his second child died. Still he admitted that the Boogeyman took his third child. Now he believes that the Boogeyman will take him too, and he is afraid to open his closets at home. His psychiatrist, Dr.Harper understands him well, too well. At the entering to the lobby, there is no one to help him and when he return into the room, Lester Billings finds the psychiatrist taking off his mask to show him that he is the boogeyman, the person who had killed his three children. Point of view The short story has a third person narrator, but the use of direct speech almost makes it seem like a first person monologue by Lester Billings. We get a deep look into his psyche whereas the psychiatrist we only know little about. Main Character Lester Billings is an arrogant sissy. He thinks the best of himself and is irascible when contradicted. He is also violent, selfish a male chauvinist and has about every other negative Characteristics one can think of. It is interesting why he has become like that, and I believe the course lies in the way he was brought up .He was over protected by his mother, with whom he now has no contact and he thinks overprotective parents make frighten and weak kids.Lester is afraid his own children will...
Words: 883 - Pages: 4
...Kostplan Mikkel Kristensen Kostplan Mikkel Kristensen Anders Munkholm Fitness Anders Munkholm Fitness Mikkel Kristensen År: 18 Højde: 18 Vægt: 87 kg Body-fat: Høj. Erfaring: Ikke stor. Aktiv-level: Skole og træning. Mål: Dit mål er at tabe dig, så derfor har jeg lagt dig i kcal underskud, det der er vigtigt, er at du træner imens du ligger i underskud, ellers vil kroppen bare tro, at du får for lidt mad, og så vil din begynde at lagre fedt . Måden du sammensætter dit måltid på er, enkelt og simpelt. Du vælger en ’genstand/produkt’ fra hver kilde, altså 1 fra, Kulhydrat,1 fra protein osv. Og sådan sammensætter du dine måltider. Det giver dig mulighed, for at ændre fra dag til dag. Og ikke gøre det ’kedeligt’ MÅLTID 1 – MORGENMAD VÆLG DIN KULHYDRAT KILDE: OATMEAL – HAVREGRYN (40g) Jeg anbefaler at lade vær med at bruge mælk, jeg plejer derimod at koge noget vand, hæld på, og lad det stå i et par minutter. Hvis du dog ikke synes det smager så godt, så bare brug mælk. Jeg bruger til tider også kanel, for at give det en bedre smag. Dog huske aldrig at brug sukker. 3 RIS KISK Hvis du ønsker ikke at få havregryn hver morgen, kan du spise 3 ris kager i stedet. Og der kommer det and på hvilke du synes det smager bedste, det er ’helt’ op til dig. Dog vil jeg have at du skal finde nogen, der er omkring 50 kcal i pr. stk. Men hvis det er en med bedre smag, som måske har 40,55,60 kcal i, så går det lige. FULDKORNS HVEDEBRØD Ja du må gerne lave toast...
Words: 1957 - Pages: 8
...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...
Words: 628 - Pages: 3
...The Boogeyman Coming to America Stephen King, a well-known horror novelist, has brought fear into the minds and hearts of many through his gruesome tales and horrific imagery. He makes us look twice before we turn the lights off at night. But what makes a whole society become scared? Well on two occasions, there were situations in which the society of the United States fell victim to fear. This fear brought two separate movements to try and keep the “Boogeyman” from trying to get into the United States. These movements were both commonly known as the Red Scare. This scare was willing to take anyone as it’s victim. Celebrities, politicians, or common Americans were all vulnerable to this phenomena that brought forth a Salem Witch Trial type of environment. The government of the United States of America tried to take many precautions, whether it was a success or failure, to try and prevent the spread of Communism in a country that is considered the greatest country on the Earth. Whenever there is a moment in history that brings on a mass hysteria, it shows what kind of people are really out there lurking around. This moment in history illustrates what happens during hysteria and what it makes people do in a time in which a common fear is shared amongst individuals of a society. “The scariest moment is always just before you start.” - Stephen King (269) This quote illustrates the moment in time just before the second Red Scare. Unlike the first Red Scare, this Red...
Words: 3891 - Pages: 16
...Trisha Myers Professor --------- English 1302 December 2, 2014 The Genetically Modified Boogeyman There is an acronym tossed around today that is so infamous and so widespread, it is able to stir up deep-seeded feelings of distrust in many people in several parts of the world: the GMO, or, the genetically modified organism. There is hardly a product on American grocery shelves today that does not contain some form of a genetically modified (or GM) crop, and many people find this fact disturbing. The average consumer does not fully comprehend the GMO, but fears and rejects it based on a superficial knowledge of the term. The possible dangers – or the possible lack there-of – of GMOs are largely debated among consumers, organizations, corporations, and even politicians. And yet, the overlooked consensus of the scientific community is that, so far, GM ingredients in food products cause no more harm to the consumer than non-GMO products. However, there is no proof that long-term risks do not exist, and many point to the several countries that have banned or severely restricted the production and trade of GMOs. But mankind has been altering the genes of food through domestication for thousands of years using selective breeding; many say that biotechnology is simply the newest innovation in agriculture. There are, without a doubt, problems surrounding GMO production and regulation that need resolving, but the process itself is not inherently bad. As long as the practice is well-regulated...
Words: 2038 - Pages: 9
...Analysis of "The Boogeyman" This Stephen King short story is about how children's lack of reality sense, and therefore also their vivid imagination, lets them to see things that adults never could. The things, that the main character Lester Billings' children can see, are in this case a monster: A so-called Boogeyman. Now, the Boogeyman is a widely spread myth, and there are many stories of the Boogeyman, but his intentions are always the same: He is no Mr. Nice guy. This particular Boogeyman lives in a closet, a rather traditional place to stay in this profession. Other Boogeyman-habitats might include places such as dark cellars, behind a tree in a public park or beneath beds. The fact that the Boogeyman lives in a closet, merely underlines that the Boogeyman is a tale for children. Only children have the innocent imagination to believe them, because they are not yet members in 'the reasonable tribe' of humanity. The difference in this Boogeyman story however, is that this one is actually happening. Lester Billings' children are being killed! While these murders are not violent crimes, the death of a child is always horrible (and might lead to justifying hallucinations). It is your basic innocence versus the world. Some human beings have, in this world, deteriorated to the level of dumb beasts. Preying on others to feed their own animalistic needs (like Patrick Bateman from American Psycho). The Boogeyman is not traditionally a human, though he is born from human imagination...
Words: 763 - Pages: 4
...The Boogeyman In the short story “The Boogeyman” by Stephen King, we are introduced to Lester Billings, a trouble man who has lost his three children. The short story has a third person narrator, which means that the narrator is external, outside the story. Somehow, we only hear Lester Billings, the main characters point of view. The way Lester Billings is presenting his story and his experiences to Dr. Harper sounds incredible as if it from a mentally ill person. “I can’t go to a priest because I’m not a Catholic. I can’t go to a lawyer because I haven’t don’t anything to consult a lawyer about. All I did was kill my kids. One at a time. Killed them all.” This is the first thing Billings says in the neighborhood of his problem to Dr. Harper. He feels responsible of their killings and he needs to release his guilt. In spite of the fact that he is about to confess the murders of his three children, this is a quite composed way of telling his experience. Billings is very arrogant and self-centered in way of behaving in relation to other people. He also feels superior to woman and talks quite openly about being a male chauvinist pig and a child abuser, for example he says “… I started to slap her, just like the old days,” “--- And a wife should follow her husband,” “She was always such a jellyfish … look how easy she went to be with me when we weren’t married” and “And if he didn’t stop crying I’d give him a wrack.” This examples show us that he wants to be in control but...
Words: 874 - Pages: 4
...want to comment on the sound. I thought the acoustics in this theater were just mediocre. Although the theater is small and about the same size as the Ashby Stage, the actors were a bit more difficult to hear, although the microphones did help quite a bit. I thought most of the performances were great; however I enjoyed some of them better than others. My favorites were The Boogeyman, Rhythms in the Veins, and Playwriting 101: The Rooftop Lesson. I really enjoyed the way Boogeyman began. First off, the play opened with the heavy sounds of hard rock/metal band Godsmack, and then followed by a scary story by from the older brother to his little brother Timmy. During his scary story, I really liked the effect that the flashlight gave along with the strobe flashes that simulated lightning. I also liked the sound effects that were used in the play. For example I thought the creaky door was a good effect. I thought the set was great. I not only liked the fact that you can see Timmy’s bedroom and the living room at the same time, I also liked that the set was very functional. For example I liked that the Boogeyman was able to disappear in and out of the closet and under the bed. This was a great effect. I also thought the costumes and props were good and appropriate. I think that the clothes of every actor fit the...
Words: 777 - Pages: 4
...Characterization of Lester Billings As a parent you work hard, but the hard work won’t always reward you. In the story “The Boogeyman”, Lester Billings is the main character. He’s 28 y/o and he lives with his wife in Waterbury, Connecticut. Lester Billings and his wife brought three children to the world, but now they aren’t here anymore, the children were all killed. When Billings was at a psychiatrist, dr. Harper, he was telling him about his horrible experiences in their home in the children’s room. We get to know a lot of things about Billings and what happens in his life; therefore we know he is a round character. While Billings was talking to dr. Harper about what happened to his last dead son, Andy, he was smiling. “And I didn’t want to move him. I was afraid to, after Denny and Shirl””But you did move him, didn’t you?” Dr. Harper asked. “Yeah,” Billings said. He smiled a sick yellow smile, “I did.” Billings moved his last-born son into the room where the two other children were killed by the boogeyman that lived in the closet in the room. It seems like Billings is haggard and is having trouble by handling the fact that an unknown monster from the closet killed all his kids. That’s why he smiles when he talks about it, he feels guilty because he did move him into the other room. He knew that it probably would happen to him also, but he didn’t do anything about it. When we look at Lester Billings past, we know that Lester felt like his mother was too overprotective...
Words: 392 - Pages: 2
...novel compared to the other characters but his speeches are very important. Some of the main ones are: [...] Ali had congenital paralysis of his lower face muscles, a condition that rendered him unable to smile and left him perpetually grim-faced. (2.20) But polio had left Ali with a twisted, atrophied right leg that was sallow skin over bone with little in between except a paper-thin layer of muscle. [...]. I watched him [Ali] swing his scraggy leg in a sweeping arc, watched his whole body tilt impossibly to the right every time he planted that foot. It seemed a minor miracle he didn't tip over with each step. [...]. Ali's face frightened some of the younger children in the neighborhood. [...]. Some had taken to calling him Babalu, or Boogeyman. (2.22) From these it is almost like the deformities talk about represent a sort of goodness, this is backed up by Hassan being given a hair lip and Amir being perfect with no problems but once he picks up a scar while getting Sohrab he is a good man. Ali is also shown to be strong and loyal. From the start of the novel Ali is shown to be very calm but later on we understand that Baba impregnated his wife, this...
Words: 500 - Pages: 2
...the article, "Myths and Folktales" it explains the difference between the two. For myth the article states, " A myth is an anonymous traditional story that explains a belief, custom or a mysterious natural phenomenon"(Patricia McCambridge l.16) There are also different types of myths such as an creation myth, origin myths, and a death myths. Myths are also more likely to be religious stories. From the article it says, " A folktale is a story created by the folk --- the common people--- the passed along orally from generation to generation"(Patricia McCambridge l.33)The different types of folktales are fables, legends, fairy tales, and ghost stories. A myth would be religious stories like Genesis, and a folktale would be stories like the boogeyman. Everyday different myths and folktales are told in conversations, but these are two main types of...
Words: 680 - Pages: 3
...Three months ago, BEN’s fiancée, KYRA, died in a horrific car crash. Grief-stricken and unable to move forward, Ben heads to Cabin Green, which reminds him of a happy place from childhood. He almost has a car accident on the way. Ben swims to a nearby island but soon sees smoke pouring out of the cabin. He gets back in time to see the cabin in flames. He rushes inside without thinking and passes out. When he comes to, there’s no sign of the fire. Later, he meets a friendly old man at the local convenience store who reminds him of everything he wishes he’d had in a father. Kyra comes to Ben in realistic visions, and strange things begin to happen throughout the cabin. He also encounters his childhood boogeyman in the lake. Freaked out, he...
Words: 581 - Pages: 3
...As children, we all feared something. It may have been an irrational fear, like the boogeyman hiding in the closet or monsters under the bed, or something more rational like getting separated from our parents in a store or getting stuck someplace, but there were things in this world that terrified us. However, fewer and fewer of these types of things make us afraid as we grow older, but there is a part of our mind that retains those fears and thoughts society deems to be negative and unacceptable. Instead, we take in various types of violent and horrific media that feature unrealistic and unnatural fears to scare us, but why? Well, let’s take the iconic psychological horror film The Shining by Stanley Kubrick as an example of the horror genre. The movie weaves a story of a man named Jack, his wife, and their child spending the winter looking after a remotely located resort. Everything goes well for a while*, but eventually Jack goes crazy with cabin fever and goes on a rampage, trying to kill both his wife and son. After a nail-biting chase through the snow covered hedge maze both the wife and son get away safely while Jack, fully...
Words: 701 - Pages: 3
...ENG 120 Children and television: A lethal combination? Many people believe that television can be good for young children and it helps to develop their mind before they attend school. While this may be true, it may also has an overall negative effect on children. Television can be lethal because it teaches children and culturally structures their mind. If a program on television shows a person eating spaghetti with his hands and a child watches this, then the child with think that it can be ok to eat spaghetti with his/her hands. In the developing stage of a child’s mind, everything that is being exposed to them is going to have a profound effect on them. We could say that only certain programs are carrying positive messages whereas the negative impact of television may be dominant. Overall, the television exposes the child to violent/deviant behavior, children build some of their morals and ethics from television and television also causes sleeping defects, obesity and other illnesses. Television can promote certain behaviors to children at young ages, for example if a child is exposed to violence on television, then that program is promoting aggressive behavior and the child can then begin to act more aggressively. Many researches show how television programs negatively affect children and their behavior from a process called imitation. Moreover, children, who are exposed to television programs showing violence, are more or less likely to affect their...
Words: 2835 - Pages: 12
