The Stand Journal 5: Judas, Peter and an Old Man

A lot of things I’ve forgotten about the Stand.  It is interesting that almost everyone is free from any form of relational burden.  That is, there are not many married people who have lost a spouse, not many parents who have lost children.  So most of the main characters step into the new world without really deep attachments to the world before the super-flu.  Glen has his dog, Kojak – but the dog wasn’t his before the plague.

One of the surprises is how much I like characters I’m supposed to dislike and just can’t stand some characters the author appears to want me to like.

GLEN:

Okay, first the character I’m not too fond of.  Glen Bateman.  I’m sorry, I try to like him in every incarnation of The Stand that I go through, but I just don’t like the old guy very much.  His portions of the book are filled with a lot of rambling.  Sociologist or opinionated old man – not much difference.  Glen seems to pride himself in knowing human behavior.  But really, a lot of his speeches are really King thinking things out for himself as he writes.  At one point, Glen completely lays out the plot of the book!  Why?  Because King is thinking this issue through himself.

I think Glen is a character who plays out better on screen.  

HAROLD:

Now for a character I’m not supposed to like so much – Young Harold Lauder.  King does an excellent job developing this character.  What’s scary is how often I can identify with things Harold says or thinks.  Scary – very scary!  He’s awkward, a loner by nature, and says things that are really quite insightful.  His ideas are often quite good, such as his plan to go to the disease center.  He also leaves clues and signs as he travels so others can follow.  It’s his idea to use bikes to travel, and he’s the one who knows how to get the gas pumps flowing.  (Though, this seems a little complex for someone his age).

I identify with Harold’s insecurities.  I also find myself nodding as King takes us through his internal dialogue.   I think Mr. King knows Harold very well.  He’s the kid many of us know – were – and want to forget.  He’s what many of us experienced in Junior High or as a freshman in High School.  But Harold never really grows up.  He’s stuck, because his behavior and social skills have kept him from personal growth.

Harold feels overshadowed by his sister and struggles with a sense of personal self worth.  Thus he glories in the plague, getting almost a Carrie White kind of pleasure from the death all around him.  He’s quite glad for the world to get erased and have a new start.  And, all the better, Frannie is also one of the lucky ones.  There is now no one else on earth for her to pay attention to but him!  This results in brilliant story telling, character development and plot movement.  Franny will show Harold favor so long as he really is the last man/boy on earth – but when a real man comes along, she’ll be unable to stick with awkward Harold.

LARRY:

I find Larry to be a fascinating character because he accomplishes so much personal growth in the novel.  He begins as a total user.  He uses his mother, he uses drugs, he uses friends, he uses  money and he uses girls.  He ain’t no nice guy!  He has the self awareness to realize he’s not a nice guy, but not he power to overcome his own personality.  He tries hard to do better with Rita than he has with previous relationships, but blows up at her and is ultimately unable to show her  the needed patience to really help her.

Yet, as the novel progresses, Larry begins to change.  I’m not sure where all of this happens – I just know it’s going to.  The Larry who begins the journey toward Vegas is not the Larry we met in New York.  I’m looking forward to seeing his character change.

Larry is a person who starts out self obsessed.  He is unable to change or escape himself.  He is trapped.  But at the end of the novel, Larry is ready to give his life – to take his Stand against evil.  This is a far cry from the man who’s own mother said something was missing inside him.  He finds redemption after the super-flu.  This ability to grow and mature is what Harold is incapable of.  While Larry becomes more selfless, Harold becomes bitter.  One is redeemed, one is lost.

Judas and Peter

I’m sure King is not purposely doing this – but in Harold and Larry there is a Biblical picture.  (Sorry, I can’t unsee this!)  Harold is just like Judas, who was incapable of escaping his own wickedness.  Miserable, he dies at his own hand.

Larry is a type of Peter.  We find in Peter a man deeply flawed, but able to grow and develop.  The second half of Peter’s life is nothing like the first.  In fact, the man who ran in the garden and denied Christ would later give his life for the cause.   He would take his Stand.  Larry follows this pattern nicely.