Good Vs. Evil in Dean Koontz’s Novel Watchers
Good versus evil is said to be one of the most common themes throughout literature and is widely universal in the idea of humanity. The author Dean Koontz is known for the commonality of the good vs. evil theme in his literature and he is known as the “Man of Many Pseudonyms” with so many pen names. He has had a writing style that has changed over time, beginning with his most popular themes of scientific fiction and now transitioning towards a more horror type genre. His focuses on his literary works is almost always his detailed character insight and his elevation of common themes. Koontz’s popular theme of good versus evil is prominent because it is a theme many readers have been exposed
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to usually at a young age. It is a concept that many understand due to simplicity with youth stories like Cinderella or Harry Potter, in which Koontz uses to his advantage by elevating these themes to such a substantial level. The theme of the novel Watchers is good versus evil which Dean Koontz displays through the novel’s characterization, language, and conflicts. Characterization is a very important element in Koontz’s novel Watchers that greatly contributes to the underlying good versus evil theme. The characterization, or describing the character’s qualities and attributes to contribute to reader’s understanding, affects each reader with judgement of characters to which they are on the good or the evil side. He makes characters ordinary that he wishes to portray as mainly good, although his characters he wishes portrayed as evil he exaggerates their negative personality traits and power hungry ways beyond average. For example, elevating the theme of evil in each of his antagonist characters in Watchers by making them have well known negative occupations and have physiological extremities, like “Vince Nasco is an American assassin…he kills not for patriotic pride, not for money, but for immortality. He believes that a small portion of the life force of his victims is absorbed within him after each assassination” (Brooks). Vince Nasco is a great example of what the article explains by saying “By taking certain tendencies of postmodern American life - hedonism, self-centeredness, amoralism - and hyping them to the extreme, he has created masters of evil that are larger than life and yet believable” (“Dean Koontz” 915-20). The character of Nasco exhibits each one of these negative attributes as long as many others, although still maintains a human character with thoughts and weaknesses like the rest of humanity. Koontz uses characterization well to give you the personalities and insight into each character’s realism for evil, but also does this through the seemingly good. The characterization of the “good” characters work exceedingly well in giving you acumen into each individual’s struggles and verisimilitude of a character. “His heroes and heroines are not the stereotypical embodiments of beauty and bravery...They [Koontz’s characters] are usually victims of experience - abused children, battered wives, people who have lost everything dear to them” (“Dean Koontz” 915-20). “Koontz’s best characters are hardly ever rich or famous or perfect. They are usually ordinary people struggling with problems, accepting responsibility, and working hard to make a decent life” (“Dean Koontz” 915-20). Koontz makes each “good” character an embodiment of the elements that make them ordinary yet extraordinary with unusualities in the real world like hidden strengths, hope against all odds, and love and friendship conquering all. The characterization skills of Koontz makes it possible for the readers to understand the good characters in depth with both emotions and personality, whilst still contributing to the good versus evil theme of Watchers. The unique language of Dean Koontz contributes to the comprehension of the good versus evil theme of Watchers with his intricate uses of literary tools like figurative language or imagery. Similes, metaphors, personification, and hyperbole are all frequently used figurative language in Koontz’s writing to assist him in conveying his messages of evil, darkness, or other negativities. “...He is intent on finding just the descriptive words and has a fascination with moderately obscure or literary English words” (“Dean Koontz” 915-20). An illustration of this is the simile “Dr. Hudson starred, except for bright ribbons of fresh blood that banded his face, he was very white, wet and sickly pale like some creature that swam eternally in the deepest reaches of the sea” (Koontz 71). The strength of the use depends on the situation Koontz wishes to display, like the strongly conveyed evil from The Outsider with the scene, “Its monstrous jaws cracked wide, full of teeth far sharper than the wicked glass shards in the window frame” (Koontz 375). Examples of figurative language, like the previous simile and metaphor, had exaggerated the overall evil of the situations and depth into the pure vileness of the scenarios just as Koontz’s literary tool of imagery. Koontz expresses each environment throughout Watchers, with either an expression of a cheerfulness or a menacing eeriness, with his uses of imagery.
Imagery is a powerful tool for Koontz because it creates such an immersive experience while reading. His descriptive words can affect readers sensually [smell, touch, taste, etc.], emotionally, and possibly even invoke physical reactions. Sinister locations and descriptions display evil like the Watchers excerpt “He dragged the unconscious man out of the Ford, through a gap in the brush, and deep under the trees, until he found a shady clearing floored with hairy moss. Cawing and trilling birds fell silent, and unknown animals with peculiar voices moved off through the underbrush. Large insects, including a beetle as big as Vince’s hand, scuttled out of the way, and lizards scampered up tree trunks” (Koontz 88). Koontz use of extremely mysterious details pertaining to the darkness lead readers to speculate the evils that lie within it, once again supporting the good versus evil theme, by showing the evil, using Koontz’s frequently obscure …show more content…
language. The good versus evil theme would clearly have a big impact on the multiple conflicts that continue throughout Watchers. Many internal and external conflicts are displayed throughout the novel, all facing physical or mental evils, including Man vs. Self, Man vs. Beast, Man vs. God/Fate, Man vs. Man, Man vs. Law, and Man vs. Technology. A questionable conflict in Watchers includes Man vs. Nature. With each conflict comes one “good” side and one “evil” side in which is based off of each reader’s perspective. The “evil” is traditionally looked at as the character, thing, or idea that is seeking to harm or discourage the “good”character or group of characters, who are traditionally seeking justice or happiness. Koontz’s novel Watchers diverts from that to lead you to question if you are incorrect about your judgements of each character based on your own morals. The conflicts are the driving forces throughout and lead character to do the actions they do. Man versus God/Fate is a leading conflict within Watchers generating much of the action, and sometimes even lack of action due to weariness of fate.
“Travis was badly shaken by how close he had come to risking Einstein’s freedom, and for the next few days he brooded about the infamous Cornell Curse. Maybe it was happening all over again. His life had been turned around and made livable because of the love he felt for Nora and for this impossible damn dog. And now maybe fate, which had always dealt with him in a supremely hostile manner, would rip both Nora and the dog away from him. He knew that fate was only a mythological concept” (Koontz
233). Most characters all undergo some sort of conflict varying both in difficulty and ability to overcome. Travis Cornell from Watchers faces a man versus man conflict with the quote “Lately, alternately depressed and angered by the loneliness and sheer pointlessness of his [Travis Cornell’s] life...he realized that its [a rattlesnake’s] existence was less pointless than his own...” (Koontz 10). Man versus man is an obvious conflict with “Behind Nora, Vince issued a shrill breathless cry and, rolling onto his back, fired at them. The bullet struck Travis in the shoulder and knocked him backward” (Koontz 370). Man versus beast and also man versus technology was prevalent throughout with the constant fear and struggle between The Outsider, a scientifically advanced “animal” made to kill, and his enemy, the rest of society. Travis, Nora, and Einstein fleeing the police to keep Einstein safe and being searched for the NSA and military expresses the conflict of man versus law. The controversial conflict is that of man versus nature because due to The Outsider still having been derived from animals, it still must possess a sense of natural instinct, in which all animals possess, making it still a part of nature. The opposing argument would be that The Outsider is only in existence due to the creation of the creature by human hands, under only the power of scientific breakthroughs. Conflicts play a large factor in the good versus evil theme; without it, there would be no good versing the evil. Dean Koontz, also known as “Man of Many Pseudonyms” , uses the popular theme of “good versus evil” throughout his writing. This theme is commonly known and largely widespread and can be traced back as far as folklore and fairytales with stories such as The Wizard of Oz, Snow White, and even The Three Little Pigs. Koontz thoroughly conveys the good versus evil theme through the novel’s characterization, language, and conflicts. Each characterization, figurative language and sometimes unusual language uses, and conflicts of varying difficulty and importance, makes Koontz’s literature gripping and theme elevating. Every one of these elements contributes separately to form the strong identity of the broad theme. Humanity itself along with popular and modern literature, display the theme of good versus evil unintentionally but frequently, making it one of the most common themes in the world today.
“ The horizon was the color of milk. Cold and fresh. Poured out among the bodies” (Zusak 175). The device is used in the evidence of the quote by using descriptives words that create a mental image. The text gives the reader that opportunity to use their senses when reading the story. “Somehow, between the sadness and loss, Max Vandenburg, who was now a teenager with hard hands, blackened eyes, and a sore tooth, was also a little disappointed” (Zusak 188). This quote demonstrates how the author uses descriptive words to create a mental image which gives the text more of an appeal to the reader's sense such as vision. “She could see his face now, in the tired light. His mouth was open and his skin was the color of eggshells. Whisker coated his jaw and chin, and his ears were hard and flat. He had a small but misshapen nose” (Zusak 201). The quotes allows the reader to visualize what the characters facial features looked like through the use of descriptive words. Imagery helps bring the story to life and to make the text more exciting. The reader's senses can be used to determine the observations that the author is making about its characters. The literary device changes the text by letting the reader interact with the text by using their observation skills. The author is using imagery by creating images that engages the reader to know exactly what's going on in the story which allows them to
Cormac McCarthy’s detailed imagery builds imagination for the reader. For example, John Grady’s vivid dream painted a beautiful picture of what makes him feel at peace, “... colts ran with dams and trampled down the flowers in a haze of pollen that hung in the sun like powdered gold… their manes and tails blew off of them like spume… moved all of them in a resonance that was like music among them…”(161). This novel did not begin with positive imagery but yet the opposite - death, “In his black suit he stood in the dark glass where the lilies leaned so paley from their waisted cut glass vase. Along the hallway behind
The Chicago World Fair brought about through the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus landing in America has posed significant value and worth to the city of Chicago. Over a six-month period, more than 26 million visitors from all over the world would flock to the fairgrounds to experience the rebuilt and vibrant city of Chicago. The 600-acre fairground would have housed 200 buildings that showcased new food, art, technology, and entertainment. Chicago became known as the White City, a place of freedom, grandeur, and security. But unbeknownst to fairgoers, there was a serial killer among them. While Dr. H.H. Holmes lured his innocent victims to his “Castle”, just blocks away architect Daniel Burnham built up the dream city of Chicago. Both these men operated at the same time in history, simply blocks apart, both creating legacies that carry to this day. Burnham and Holmes are two side of the coin of human nature. In “The Devil in White City” Erik Larson’s juxtaposition of Burnham and Holmes, and the Black City and the White City, contributes to the understanding of human nature, that one cannot be good without having done evil, and that good and evil are viewed as complementary in their mutual dependence.
The idea that man's relationship with good and evil is not predestined is a central idea in this novel. The conflict between good and evil is a universal battle. Many characters in the novel, East of Eden, struggle both internally and externally with Good versus evil.
Some of the greatest villains in literature are characters who have merely been misunderstood. While we are drawn to literary heroes and admire their strengths, we often forget to consider the point of view of their enemies. Many of these enemies also possess strengths that the reader does not realize. Along with traditional heroes, the villain in a story can be considered an anti-hero. In the story Grendel, by John Gardner, the reader is challenged to contemplate the thoughts and feelings of the anti-hero, Grendel. Exploring heroes like Beowulf, and anti-heroes like Grendel, and the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, causes the reader to develop a better understanding of the relationship that exists between the characters and their society.
On the surface, O'Connor's A Good Man is Hard to Find appears innocent enough in its content. But as the reader becomes more and more involved in the symbolic underpinnings that embody the story, it is quite clear that there is a distinctive flavor of evil versus Christianity. In fact, it has been argued that the extent to which O'Connor utilizes the central theme of Christianity is as a subtle, symbolic plot to convert her readers, whom she had envisioned as nonbelievers. By demonstrating to her audience all the good that comes from faith, along with all the bad that merely begets more evil, it was her intention to enlighten her readership down the right path.
”The focus of the book is on extraordinary human evil. The focus on human evil writ large is not about the isolated, tabloid cases of
The lines that define good and evil are not written in black and white; these lines tend to blur into many shades of grey allowing good and evil to intermingle with each another in a single human being. Man is not inherently good or evil but they are born innocent without any values or sense of morality until people impart their philosophies of life to them. In the words of John Locke:
She presents two contradictory images of society in most of her fiction: one in which the power and prevalence of evil seem so deeply embedded that only destruction may root it out, and another in which the community or even an aggregate of individuals, though radically flawed, may discover within itself the potential for regeneration. (34)
The clash between good and evil has been a prominent theme in literature. The Bible presents the conflict between good and evil in the story of Adam and Eve. Many authors use the scene in the Bible in which the snake taunts and tempts Adam and Eve to take a bite of the apple of knowledge to demonstrate the frailty of humankind. John Gardner provides these same biblical allusions of good and evil in his novel, Grendel.
The conflict of good and evil presents itself in “The Most Dangerous Game” and “The Child by Tiger” in two completely different ways. One story being commercial fiction and the other being literary fiction, there are many ways of viewing variables such as good versus evil, realistic versus unrealistic stories and moral significance. The stories have different voices and are meant for different audiences, but in viewing the overall moral importance of both fictional works, the story with a greater moral significance is “The Child by Tiger”.
In “The Beast In The Cave”, H.P. Lovecraft develops a suspenseful plot in order to build tension throughout the story that inevitably leaves the reader feeling disturbed and the story hanging. The plot itself is seems simple, but is complicated at the same time. Victoria Nelson talks about how Lovecraft’s stories tease the reader “with the tantalizing prospect of utter loss of control, of possession or engulfment, while remaining at the same time safely contained within the girdle of a formalized, almost ritualized narrative”. With “The Beast In The Cave”, the protagonist faces only one conflict throughout the story making it a simple plot line; however, the predicament he is in provides the complexity and tension that Lovecraft creates in other stories as well.
The use of imagery or personification increases the suspense in the story, ‘Shadows cower’ is a very descriptive way of showing how frightening the mansion is. It sounds as if the shadows which are linked to darkness themselves are afraid of a greater evil. We wonder what this great evil could be that makes evil itself tremble. Another personification used is ‘candles writhing’. Candles are usually associated to gothic stories, as it is only small source of light within a vast darkness of the room.
Both Conrad’s, “Heart of Darkness”, and Coppola’s, “Apocalypse Now”, profoundly illustrate the journey of man into their inner self and man’s encounters with their insanity, fears and demise. The novella and film are comprised of numerous pivotal themes that facilitate the understanding of the deeper meaning of both works. Fundamentally, theme is an extensive message or idea expressed by an author and is a crucial element of literature since it sheds light on universal concepts. The most striking parallels that can be formulated when comparing themes in both the novella and the film are associated with human nature. Specifically, Conrad and Coppola incorporate theme of hypocrisy in order to portray man’s incredible potential for evil.
Authors often use imagery in their writings for the purpose of forming a mental picture in the mind of the reader and to create a more descriptive, interesting and interactive text. For example, colours may be associated with the emotion of characters or animal imagery may be used to define a particular character’s behaviour. Imagery can be a key component in a story, when used in an effective manner. Often the colour red is used to show anger, while the colour green represents a character’s envious attitude. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad makes particular use of imagery throughout the novella, and most effectively to highlight two apparently contradictory aspects of Kurtz’s personality. First, Kurtz is portrayed as a character with an