The Talisman: A Novel
Chapter 35: Richard in the Dark
by King, StephenIn *Chapter 33: Richard in the Dark*, tension escalates as Jack and Richard confront the eerie “Etheridge-thing,” a monstrous entity taunting them from outside their window. Jack, fueled by anger, defies the creature by invoking his mother’s authority, shouting orders for it to leave. The creature retaliates with cruel remarks about Jack’s deceased mother, but Jack detects its underlying unease. Richard, confused and terrified, questions how the creature knows personal details, revealing his growing vulnerability. The confrontation peaks as the creature attempts to manipulate Richard into betraying Jack, exploiting his longing for normalcy and love for his school.
The chapter delves into Richard’s psychological trauma, triggered by the supernatural encounter. As he collapses into Jack’s arms, he confesses a childhood horror: years earlier, his father entered a closet and never returned, leaving Richard traumatized by an unseen force that touched him. This event explains Richard’s rigid rejection of fantasy and fiction—his insistence on stark reality as a defense against the unexplainable. Jack reflects on Richard’s inability to engage with stories, recalling his frustration when even gripping tales like *Lord of the Flies* failed to move him. Richard’s trauma has rendered him emotionally numb to imagination, as every fictional narrative subconsciously evokes his unresolved fear.
The narrative flashes back to Richard’s childhood, detailing the pivotal moment his father disappeared into the closet. As a young boy, Richard waited in vain, calling out until his fear overwhelmed him. The incident left him permanently scarred, instilling a deep-seated aversion to the unknown. The chapter suggests that Richard’s obsession with rationality stems from this unresolved terror—a coping mechanism to suppress the inexplicable horrors he witnessed. His breakdown in Jack’s arms marks the first time he confronts this buried trauma, signaling a turning point in his character.
The chapter masterfully intertwines supernatural suspense with psychological depth. Jack’s defiance of the Etheridge-thing contrasts with Richard’s paralyzing fear, highlighting their divergent responses to danger. Richard’s backstory adds emotional weight, revealing how childhood trauma shapes adult behavior. The unresolved tension—both from the creature’s threat and Richard’s fractured psyche—leaves the reader anticipating further revelations. The chapter underscores themes of fear, trauma, and the struggle between reality and the uncanny, setting the stage for deeper exploration of both characters’ journeys.
FAQs
1. How does Jack attempt to assert authority over the Etheridge-thing, and what does this reveal about his character development?
Answer:
Jack boldly confronts the Etheridge-thing by invoking his mother’s royal status, shouting, “I order you out of here! All of you! I order you to leave in the name of my mother, the Queen!” This moment showcases Jack’s growing confidence and willingness to take charge, contrasting with his earlier passivity. His sharpened perception—noticing the creature’s “twitchy unease” beneath its bravado—further demonstrates his maturation through adversity. The scene marks a turning point where Jack begins embracing his latent leadership qualities and heritage, using words as weapons in his psychological battle against the supernatural forces opposing him.2. Analyze Richard’s psychological state during his interaction with the Etheridge-thing. What internal conflict does this scene expose?
Answer:
Richard exhibits profound cognitive dissonance—he unconsciously nods at the creature’s promises to restore normality, revealing his desperate yearning for the school’s former stability (“his face a knotted rag of misery”). Yet his physical recoil (“It t-touched me!”) betrays deep-seated trauma. This conflict between his rational denial of supernatural events and his visceral fear of their reality stems from childhood trauma (later revealed as his father’s disappearance in a closet). The scene exposes Richard’s fragile coping mechanism: strict adherence to logic as a defense against unresolved terror, making him vulnerable to manipulation when his reality fractures.3. What symbolic significance does the closet hold in Richard’s backstory, and how does this explain his aversion to fiction?
Answer:
The closet represents Richard’s formative trauma—a literal portal to disappearance and terror where his father vanished. This event forged his pathological rejection of fantasy (“no such thing as a good made-up story”), as imaginative narratives metaphorically recreate that terrifying liminal space. His clinical book reports and preference for factual rigidity mirror his psychological need to barricade against uncertainty. Jack’s realization that “each opening storybook cover had looked a little like an opening closet door” powerfully connects Richard’s childhood horror to his adult intellectual constraints, showing how trauma can calcify perception.4. Compare Jack and Richard’s coping mechanisms when confronted with supernatural threats. How do their approaches reflect their respective journeys?
Answer:
Jack confronts the Etheridge-thing with escalating assertiveness (“Begone!”), channeling his anger into decisive action—a skill honed through his travels. In contrast, Richard seeks refuge in rationalization (“Drugs… I knew it”), clinging to mundane explanations despite overwhelming evidence. These responses highlight their developmental arcs: Jack evolves from confusion to command by accepting the supernatural’s reality, while Richard’s rigid rationality shatters when physically confronted by the impossible. Their dynamic illustrates two trauma responses—Jack’s adaptive resilience versus Richard’s fragile denial—setting up a pivotal moment where Richard must choose between safety and truth.5. How does King use the Etheridge-thing’s dialogue to create psychological tension, and what thematic purpose does this serve?
Answer:
The creature’s taunts (“Queen Laura’s dead… dead and stinking”) weaponize personal trauma, while its bureaucratic threats (“Where’s your tie?”) mimic institutional control, merging supernatural horror with psychological manipulation. By offering Richard normalization in exchange for betraying Jack, it embodies temptation’s seductive danger. The fading voice (“Send him out, Sl…”) mirrors Richard’s disintegrating denial. This dialogue deepens themes of loyalty versus self-preservation and reality’s subjective nature, showing how evil exploits emotional vulnerabilities. The confrontation becomes a crucible that forces both characters to confront their deepest fears and allegiances.
Quotes
1. “I order you out of here! All of you! I order you to leave in the name of my mother, the Queen!”
This pivotal moment shows Jack asserting his newfound authority and heritage against the supernatural threat. His royal command momentarily shakes the Etheridge-thing, revealing Jack’s growing power and connection to the Territories.
2. “It t-t-touched muh-me-eeee! It touched me, it t-touched m-me, something in there t-t-touched me AND I DON’T NUH-NUH-KNOW WHAT IT WAS!”
Richard’s breakdown reveals the deep trauma underlying his rigid rejection of fantasy. This visceral reaction explains his lifelong insistence on pure rationality - a defense mechanism against an incomprehensible childhood horror.
3. “Well, there’s really no such thing as a good made-up story, is there?”
This rhetorical question encapsulates Richard’s worldview, showing how his childhood experience with the supernatural closet made him reject all fiction. The quote demonstrates how trauma can fundamentally shape one’s perception of reality and imagination.
4. “Perhaps to Richard each opening storybook cover had looked a little like an opening closet door…”
This insightful narration reveals how Richard’s childhood trauma transformed his relationship with fiction. The metaphorical connection between books and terrifying closet doors explains his complete rejection of make-believe as a psychological defense mechanism.