“It” was published in 1986 under Viking Publishers. Widely regarded as the King of Horror, Stephen King took “It” to another level by portraying a clown as the antagonist who killed and fed on children, with a group of 11-year-olds as the protagonists. The novel made Stephen King a fortune, with the book being America’s best-selling book of 1986.
Historical Context
Since its release in 1986, “It” has continued to be one of the biggest inspirations in the horror literary genre. The novel inspired new writers to create distinct worlds and place seemingly weak protagonists against dreadful antagonists.
Relevance of Period
“It” was published in 1986, a time known as one of the best decades for humanity. It was then that music, fashion, and technological trends were becoming prominent. Stephen King releasing his novel during this period was crucial to its success, as people were willing to engage in new emerging stories.
Major Historical Events’ Influence
“It” was not influenced by any grand political or societal conflict. Stephen King’s fears inspired him to write the story. His first crucial inspiration came from the children’s story “Three Billy–Goats Gruff.” King said the mild tale was the basis that enabled him to create his characters and Derry.
Socio-Political Influence
The vigor of the 1980s was crucial to “It’s” success. Many people flocked to read Stephen’s works and were shocked by the novel’s dreadful tone. Some people disliked the sexual undertones of the story, and the book caught controversy for having children engage in lewd acts.
Novel’s Historical Analysis
“It” has tremendously impacted horror writing and the movie industry. The novel created a twisted world that put children at the center of violence, death, and perversion, and Stephen King making a clown the villain out to get the children made the story all the more dreadful and captivating.
“It” contradicted the purpose of what clowns represent, fun and exciting, and its destruction of this image has altered pop culture’s representation of clowns and other fun-oriented activities in horror writing.
The novel has also impacted American culture by shaping the societal view of life’s horrors. “It” shows the decadence and evil beneath seemingly peaceful societies come from the horrors within people.
Author’s Background
Stephen Edwin King is an American writer born September 21, 1947, in Portland, Maine, United States. He rose to fame with his unique horror stories and was dubbed the ‘King of Horror’ by many popular outlets and fans.
Influences and Motivation
Stephen King was inspired to write “It” after reading “Three Billy-Goats Gruff.” He stated the children’s story was the primary foundation for the novel as he designed his protagonists, the Losers Club, from Three Billy Goats Gruff; the Antagonist, IT, from Troll, and Derry, from the bridge the goats were to cross.
“It” remains one of Stephen King’s best books as it took him four years to write. King pushed through with the novel even during his addiction. He stated it was a dark time in his life and called the novel his final exam on horror.
Impact of Previous Works
Before writing “It,” Stephen King was already an established horror writer who was famous for works like “Carrie,” “The Shining,” and “The Dark Tower: The Gun Slinger.” King used his expertise in epistolary writing to create his new novel that blended two distinct timelines into one.
Cultural Context
“It” is a novel that tackles many societal and cultural issues like bullying and the damage brought upon children due to dysfunctional families.
Cultural Norms and Values Depicted
“It” sheds light on a society tarnished by terrible parents, broken families, physically and mentally abused children, and homophobia. It shows how people are affected by the treatment brought on them simply because they exist. Henry Bowers, a boy who was violently abused by his father, tormented the Losers Club. Henry’s terrible treatment spread like cancer among other children as he actively tried to dish out the abuse he faced on others.
“It” also showed how homophobia destroyed Adrain’s life. He was a gay man in a world that hated his kind, and the hatred, which came from no valid ground, contributed to his death.
Novel’s Critique of Contemporary Politics
Though published in 1986, “It” remains a valid story in the present era. As the world increasingly opens to become a global village, many negatives, like rampant bullying and homophobia, have only worsened. “It” shows how constant bullying of minority groups and children will lead to no good outcome for society.
Literary Context
“It” changed horror writing by pitting an ancient evil entity against weak children. The novel’s radical story changed how the horror genre presented itself.
Genre and Its Conventions
“It” turned horror into a true-stakes genre. The novel identified many societal issues and used them to make a story that antagonized innocent children placed in a world without help. The story’s brutality knew no bounds as the Losers Club was ill-equipped against IT, an entity as old as the universe. Stephen King showing the true horror the Losers Club faced with IT and their society gave the novel more realistic weight.
Literary Movements
“It” is a lengthy novel that moves at a fast pace. The story occurs in two timelines, 1957 to 1958 and 1984 to 1985. Though each timeline was not co-dependent, Stephen King merged both stories to skew the reader’s attention. The novel also inculcated Stephen’s epistolary writing, which made it more realistic and detailed.
Comparison With Other Works
“It” is a novel that stands tall among its peers. Its inculcation of societal issues and critique of vices separates it from other books like “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley. Decades after its release, it remains a guide for many writers and movie-makers.
Critical Reception
Upon publication, “It” received praise from many critics and fans. However, part of its story caught heat for being weird and disturbing.
Initial Reception
Though it received praise from fans and critics, some people expressed disdain for Stephen King’s “It.” Christopher Lehman-Haupt said “It” failed to give a solid reason for Stanley Uris’s death, and other critics stated the novel was a chore to read due to its length. Some expressed their hatred of the Losers Club orgy section and said the book was perverted.
Impact On Literature and Culture
“It” has inspired many books and films. Among them is the Netflix series Stranger Things. Elements of the show are similar to King’s novel, and even the creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, said Stephen’s novels were a crucial source of inspiration.
Modern Relevance
Decades after publication, “It” remains relevant in pop culture and horror writing. The story addressing societal issues made it a work whose relevance withstood the test of time.
Themes and Contemporary Issues
“It” addresses many issues relating to mental health, physical abuse, and homophobia. The novel tackles the loss of childhood innocence and shows how abuse can lead to devastating results.
Coming of Age
One prominent feature in “It“ is the portrayal of coming of age. The novel shows how each member of the Losers Club went from childhood into adulthood, and the book portrays a framed alternating timeline that focuses on how each protagonist matures twenty-seven years after they faced IT.
From the summer of 1958 to 1985, each member of the Losers Club changed their ideologies and relationships. As the years transcended from a post-WWII era to an era coming out of recession, the Losers Club went with the tide of change, and this change is notable in the difference between what they feared as children and adults.
Caged In the Past
Though there were changes in their lives, the members of the Losers Club could not completely erase the memory of the childhood events that forged them into the adults they grew up to be. Bill became a great author, and though he wrote exceptional stories, each story resonated with the horror of him having to face It.
One of the greatest fears of the Losers Club as children was the social, family, and emotional problems surrounding them and their family, and though they grew up to become adults, they were never truly free from the hold of their past childhood horrors.
Ongoing Significance
From its setting to characters, dialogues, and plot, “It” has held an unwavering significance in horror writing. The novel tackled the deeply-rooted problems of its world and made subtle comparisons to real life.
A Fictional Town Called Derry
Stephen King described his fictional town, Derry, as twenty miles west of Bangor. However, it is an entirely fictional replica of Bangor as it had scenery such as Paul Bunyan’s statue and Thomas Hill’s standpipe.
Derry’s history contained mass disappearances and deaths. From the disappearance of 340 settlers who founded the city in 1741 to the death of 120 people shot in 1864, Derry’s history was disturbing; this marred history made it a perfect breeding ground for a monster synonymous with evil: IT.
Like Derry, many places where hatred and violence rule the day become the breeding ground of evil. Stephen King used his fictional town to show the dangers of having a bloody history.
The Unbreakable Cycle
The unbreakable cycle is a feature that persists in “It.” Derry was a town that could never escape its past. With the horrible deaths and the mass disappearances Derry experienced from its inception till 1985, no one seemed to be bothered, and people went on like there was nothing wrong.
Derry was at the center of a cycle that persisted even with the appearance of the Losers Club. Bill, along with the rest of the group, traced a series of murders in Derry since its inception. Though they were able to link the murders to IT, they could do nothing to warn people of the monster because the people had grown used to the unbreakable cycle of terror and death.
Adaptations and Awards
In 1990, “It” was adapted into a mini-series that starred Tim Curry as IT (Pennywise the Clown). The adult versions of the Losers Club were Richard Thomas (Bill Denbrough), John Ritter (Ben Hanscom), Harry Anderson (Richie Tozier), Dennis Christopher (Eddie Kaspbrak), Tim Reid (Mike Hanlon), Annette O’Toole (Beverly Marsh), and Richard Masur as Stan Uris.
Olivia Hussey starred as Bill’s wife, Audra Phillips, and Michael Cole was the primary antagonist, Henry Bowers. Tommy Lee Wallace directed the series.
Eight years later, “It” was made into an Indian series written and directed by Ankush Mohla and Glen Baretto.
On September 8, 2017, the first “It” film came in theatres. It starred Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise and Jaeden Martell, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer, Chosen Jacobs, and Wyatt Oleff as Bill, Ben, Bev, Richie, Eddie, Mike, and Stanley of the Losers Club.
Two years later, the second part of the film was released, and it starred Bill Skarsgård as IT and James McAvoy, Jay Ryan, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, James Ransone, Isaiah Mustafa, and Andy Bean as the adult versions of the Losers Club.
“It” won an award after its release, the 1987 British Fantasy August Derleth’s Award.
