Stephen King The Body Analysis

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Intro Paragraph: The story “The Body,” written by Stephen King, shows how 4 boys slowly start to forget about their childhood, but at the same time, it shows how the realities of adulthood comes down and crashes their imagination. In the story, there are parts that show that they are just kids being kids and not knowing any better, but there are also parts where they are just immature and are being ignorant to the consequences. Chris and Gordie soon learn to accept the realities of adulthood and the idea that they can’t go back now that they have reached so far. Later on in the story it shows how they shift from that kid inside them to a wise and reliable adult. From reading the book, it is clear that the ignorant and immature side of Chris …show more content…

In chapter 4, Vern, also known for being stupid in a naive way, has been told by a lot of people that the pennies he had buried were gone from under the front porch but he kept digging no matter what they said. Vern then hears Charlie and Billy talking about a dead body and how gross it was. Vern runs all the way to the treehouse not thinking that he would get caught and was full of excitement as he told the news to the gang. Thanks to Vern, the innocence, or mostly his naiveness, make it seem like he is still just a kid being a kid. In chapter 5, Chris and Gordie make up a plan to go see the body and think there plan will be perfect, but they should think more. They are talking 20 miles far from home and into the woods and not a playground. 20 miles of frustration and unknown features, but their plan is to say that they were bored in Vern’s back field and left to go to the forest. Those actions make it seem like they are kids, being innocent little kids, and they don’t know much of the wilderness, yet, but it seems slightly ignorant to the real dangers. In chapter 14, after the part of Chris’s wise words of wisdom, Vern, Teddy, Chris, and Gordie take a rest and eat for a little bit ,but then take a smoke. Back in the day no one really knew of the effect of smoking a cigarette and being kids who want to “grow up,” …show more content…

In chapter 13, it appears that Chris is the most mature in the group and that Gordie is in between until the end. Chris is like a leader and a parent to the gang and tells Gordie that he has to take college courses and if he doesn’t then he is a fool. Gordie seems to be a little resistant, saying that he will be with a lot of craven people and that he will stick with his friends, but Chris wants to help Gordie because his actual parents would never do anything for their only child left. Chris explains furthermore that people and friends drag you down. Chris probably wants to help Gordie, even though he is perfectly capable of taking college courses, so he can stay behind and help Vern and Teddy because they aren’t as reliable and sensible as Gordie. In chapter 15, Gordie doesn’t exactly show maturity in this part of the story, but the dream he has is like a path to adulthood. Gordie starts dreaming about Chris telling an English teacher of how the milk-money was stolen, but he tried to give it back to a TEACHER and she just used the money to buy a new skirt for herself. No one believed him and Gordie just swam away, closer to safety, just as a soft rotten hand grabs onto his leg. That hand is probably a symbol of regret and guilt for leaving Chris behind, but Gordie is awaken

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