Seven Reasons We Read Stephen King, #4 : He's A Woman

Yep!  It's awkward, but true.  Stephen King is a woman.

When writing about female characters, King is able to actually get inside a woman's head.  More than one female in my life has mentioned how skillfully he deals with the fairer sex.  That sense of realism causes readers to return again and again.

Kings ability to write realistically about women, how they think and deal with the world -- may be exactly why I so often find myself frustrated with his female characters!  "I would never do that that way!" I think. In Big Driver I found myself completely frustrated with decisions Tess would make. They didn't seem at all logical to me. Is that because she was a woman and I'm thinking like a guy? I don't know. 

Emotion: One woman pointed out that King allows female characters to be emotional, but not overly so.  It's "appropriate," she said.  There was a scene when Sadie didn't want George/Jake to look at her.  I thought Sadie was being ridiculous -- but alas, the woman in my life says it was all together appropriate. 

So get this: One reason I read King is that even though his female characters drive me crazy, they strike me all the more as real! 

Of course, Carrie is a story of emotion way way way out of control.  The book starts with ministration, and ends with the lady blowing up the town.  Carrie flat out looses it.  No one will hold it against her, of course!  They world had it coming.

Description: My wife said that in "woman" books there is a lot of descriptions in regards to what women wear.  Exactly why I don't read that stuff.  King does not overload his books with clothing descriptions. 

However, my wife noted that King mentions more often what women are wearing than men.  In 11.22.63, King takes time with both Marina and Sadie to describe clothing.  He'll mention that Marina comes out in a skirt that is too short and her short shorts.  So when dealing with female characters, it seems King is able to actually write like a female author might.  Scary, eh!

Their Tough.  Don't get the idea that because King allows some tears to flow that his female characters are not tough.  That is not the case at all!  Often women in a King novel display great strength over situations -- usually situations that threaten to oppress them or bring harm to their loved ones.

In the mid 90's, King gave us three novels about strong women dealing with abuse: Dolores Claiborne, Gerald's Game and Rose Madder.  Madder involves spousal abuse, while the first two focused primarily on child abuse. 

Often when women show a strong or determined side of themselves, they are misunderstood by men!  "There she goes. . ."  "must be that time of month" and so on.

Consider Dolores Claiborne, a favorite of mine.  The entire story is told from a woman's point of view.  Dolores is tough as nails -- you would think.  But that strength comes because at heart she is a mama bear.  If she has to take care of business to stop her husbands abuse, she'll do whatever she has to.  She can't physically win a fight with him, so she traps him.  It's brilliant!  I mean, all out, wonderfully brilliant.  She out-smarts the rat.

Another tough woman appears in "A Good Marriage", in which Darcy Anderson lays a brilliant trap to knock off her serial killer husband.  How does she kill a man who has made a lifestyle of killing women?  And how does she accomplish it without getting caught herself?  What is interesting in this novel is to watch the change in Darcy.  She goes from being a "normal" 1950's-ish house wife, to a woman ready to knock off her husband!  And the transformation takes place right before the readers eyes.  Yet, in both roles, Darcy is 100% female.  Makes since, right? -- she is a female character.  But the writer is male!

Even Tommyknockers, though the main character is really a town, often takes the perspective of Bobbie Anderson. Now she's an interesting character! And a strong -- driven -- woman.

Complexity.  Women in King novels are usually pretty complex.  This makes sense, because women are. . . well, complicated.  In Gerald's Game, we see how the abuse from childhood affects a grown woman, not just her sex life, but her entire life!  I think Gerald's Game is underrated as a strong character novel.  By the way, I found the connection between Gerald's Game and Dolores Claiborne haunting.

King does not paint womanhood with a single brush stroke.  We get Carrie, and Carrie's mama . . . and Carrie's friends.  Each one of those was engaging because we feel like we've met a woman like that.  Have you ever met Carrie White?  Sure you have!  Probably on a school bus.  But I'll bet you've also met someone like her mama.  And, be honest, have you ever found yourself being like one of those villains who made Carrie miserable?

Why did Tabby insist King continue on with Carrie?  I think because he so accurately painted the torments of high school for a teenage girl!  I mean, that locker room scene is not fun -- but it's painfully real.  Yet, we are left to ask. . . how many girls locker rooms had King been in?  Wouldn't it have been more natural for him to have started with a male character in a similar situation?  (yes, I can think of some).  From book one, King was giving us a view of women most men have never considered.

I'm not gong to psychologize this and tell you why King is so good at writing about women.  Raised by his mother, maybe.  Sensitive?  Sure.  But maybe we can just chalk it up to a "gift."

One more example of the strong woman -- Mother Abigail is a determined, self sufficient old woman who walks with God.  Is she tough?  Well, consider this: She stands opposed to the Anti-Christ himself!  Though strong, she shows the compassion of Christ in a way that endears her to almost every reader of The Stand.  I like 'er!

Feminism.  King has gotten more than a few Feminist mad at him.  Note the book, "Imagining the Worst: Stephen King and the Representation of Women."  But it is usually ladies with an agenda who want women all represented the same way!  They're the ones doing the stereotyping!  They get upset if women are presented as emotional, and if some women are over the top, or crazy. 

King has given us many many many strong, independent women.  But he's not afraid to give us some crazy women as well.  Why?  Because -- hold on -- some women are actually crazy!  Every woman can't be the poster girl for NOW

I am actually surprised when I see heated criticism of King's female characters.  (Like HERE)  The writer of the blog article I just linked to is reading The Gunslinger, and complains that:

"I've begun to notice a disturbing trend. Every single female Roland has come across so far has been a sex-starved, manipulative wench. Even the one woman who we're supposed to sympathize with (at least, I assume we're supposed to sympathize with her). Upon further reflection, I realize that almost every single woman several of the women King writes is are like this." 

But this was written when King was something like nineteen!  It is certainly not his most emotionally mature novel.  But, in the same series, great complexity is given to Detta-Odetta.  And by the way, who in the world crosses out on their blog instead of just hitting the backspace?  Stupid article. 

I am sure I am supposed to go on and on at this point about how King has used writing as a means of advancing the cause of women's issues.  That's not quite the point.  We come back to King not because we want an issue pressed, but because we find the characters real and the situations they are put in riveting.

Difficult.  Some novels are so heavily slanted toward a woman's perspective, it takes more energy for me to read them.  I have yet to finish Lisey's Story, though what I've read is very good.  The same is true of Rose Madder. 

Now About Annie.  It seems a word is needed about Annie Wilkes.   She seems to think that what happens in a novel actually happens!  Her attempts to control Paul and make him rewrite Misery's Child reveal that though functional, she is extremely obsessive-compulsive and delusional.  While Annie doesn't need to define all women, be honest for a moment. . . haven't you met an Annie Wilkes or two?