“The Outsider” ponders on the idea of the impossible. It portrays how people can be blinded by their rigidity in accepting occurrences out of their control. Throughout the story, every character is forced into cognitive dissonance and they either break through their mental conditioning or become slaves to fear, hate, and death.
Historical Context
The world is a scary place where many unexplainable events occur. “The Outsider” follows the troupe with a story of a gruesome murder that opens a can of worms its characters were far unprepared for.
Relevance of Period
“The Outsider” was written in 2018 when the internet’s popularity was high. Its story is centered around Ralph Anderson trying to learn the truth about Frankie’s murder. In 2018, many technologies that could alter videos to include people who were not at a scene were present; this was crucial to the story, as Ralph considered the possibility of Terry being in Flint City while claiming to be in Cap City.
Major Historical Events’ Influence
2018 was marked by the worldwide spread of the #MeToo movement; this ideology perforated around the world and led to massive support for women who faced multiple forms of sexual harassment. The spread of #MeToo affected “The Outsider” as Terry realized he could never regain a clean image after his arrest.
Socio-Political Influence
The late 2010s was a weird moment in world history, as the terrible actions of many political leaders started compounding to worsen the world’s economy. During this time, people started digging deeper into the injustices others faced, and this digging would eventually explode into a series of protests against many governments worldwide.
Historical Context
In “The Outsider,” a reader will notice a contemporary ambiance dissipated by the characters’ actions. The story’s modernity gives it meaning as it inculcates scientific processes and technological devices into the plot. The prevalence of science creates problems for the protagonist, Terry, as crucial DNA evidence that could have vindicated him proved he was guilty.
The trust in science creates a complicated path for the protagonist, Ralph, as he does not accept the existence of supernatural forces.
Society is based on laws free of unrealistic elements like shape-shifting creatures. However, people have no clue if these beings exist and may be evading the law by using its negligence of the supernatural; this is what “The Outsider” portrays.
Author’s Background
Stephen King is an American writer known as the King of Horror. He is one of the most critically acclaimed authors alive. Stephen has written more than 60 novels and 200 short stories. His work, dating back decades, has inspired many upcoming authors and has been a subject of inspiration for many TV series and movies.
Influences and Motivations
Stephen King stated that many occurrences in his life inspired his stories. He drew inspiration for “The Outsider” from a short story called “William Wilson” by Edgar Allan Poe. Some of his other novels, like “It,” were inspired by children’s stories, while others, like “11/22/63” were conceptualized from real-world political events.
Impact of Previous Works
As an author whose works have sold over 500 million copies, Stephen King has been widely inspired by many of his previous novels. He is popular for his distinctive use of epistolary writing and has featured many characters from other stories.
Cultural Context
Stephen King showed how modern society’s technical advancements could be used to perpetrate crimes. He portrayed a world where the court of public opinion leads to severe consequences that hinder the dispensation of justice.
Novel’s Critique of Contemporary Politics
“The Outsider” does not focus on politics, but on governmental organizations’ procedures determining right from wrong. It shows how fragile investigatory procedures are, and points out how it can be so easy to destroy and alter evidence against an innocent person.
Critique of Contemporary Culture
“The Outsider” portrays a severe flaw in current human society. It shows how the court of public opinion deems a person guilty based on their arrest concerning a particular crime. Though the law states that people are innocent before proven guilty, many societies follow the inverse. Terry knew any semblance of normalcy was one from his life with his arrest. He knew that no matter how innocent he was, people would never see him the same again, and he would lose friends, jobs, and opportunities.
Cultural Norms Influenced
Many beliefs and values are upheld by “The Outsider’s” characters. Holly accepted the existence of the supernatural. She realized a force that fed on fear could exist in a society driven by science and technology. Her open-mindedness made it very useful for the entire group to discover and kill The Outsider.
On the other hand, some characters were on the fence concerning the supernatural. Though Jeanie wanted to disbelieve, she felt the supernatural had to be real whenever the impossible existed. She revealed her ideology with a statement:
“I would like to believe in God,” she said, “because I don’t want to believe we just end, even though it balances the equation—since we came from blackness, it seems logical to assume that it’s to blackness we return. But I believe in the stars, and the infinity of the universe. That’s the great Out There. Down here, I believe there are more universes in every fistful of sand, because infinity is a two-way street.”
Jeannie Anderson – Footsteps And Cantaloupe: July 18th-July 20th, Chapter 4
The above statement shows how Jeanie acknowledged the supernatural because she felt it explained the uncertainties surrounding Terry’s arrest and trial.
Literary Context
“The Outsider” portrays intricate themes using a beautiful plot line that features multiple flawed characters struggling to fight against an unimaginably strong opposing force.
Genre and Its Conventions
“The Outsider” is one of Stephen King’s many horror novels. Unlike “It” and “Carrie,” it focuses on the technical aspects of horror and dives into the mental state of people facing overwhelming evil. The story also features more technology than King’s previous works; this adds a new layer of modern complexity to the plot line.
Literary Movements
“The Outsider” is a single-time novel that follows one plot line. Different dates separate the chapters, making them feel like distinct short stories encapsulated in a giant book. Stephen King also uses epistolary writing that adds an incredible layer of authenticity to the overall plot. As for the progression, the story flows fluidly and never feels suffocating.
Comparison to Previous Works
“The Outsider” is among Stephen King’s most critically acclaimed novels. The story is similar to King’s “It” as it follows the fight between a group of people and a shape-shifting monster.
Critical Reception
“The Outsider” rose to critical acclaim upon publication. It joined Stephen King’s novels to achieve the Best-Seller status.
Initial Reception
“The Outsider” was met with positive praise from critics and fans upon release. Many people expressed excitement for the novel and stated it met their expectations. On Goodreads, the book received mostly 4 and 5 stars.
Critical Analysis Over Time
“The Outsider” has withstood the test of time. Though it is relatively newer, many people have praised its beautiful design. On many forums, readers have pointed out how Stephen King’s epistolary writing made every aspect of the story real.
Impact on Culture and Literature
“The Outsider” has inspired TV shows and remains a beacon for many authors who want to venture into the horror genre.
Modern Relevance
Stephen King talks about the decadence of society in his books, and “The Outsider” portrays a part of his ideologies by showing how myopic the justice system could be when tackling cases out of the law’s scope. King showed that though the rigidity of the law makes it impenetrable, that same rigidity could also create massive problems within.
Impact
Winning The Sunday Times Bestseller award, “The Outsider” remains a book worthy of being called a masterpiece. Though the book resonates with King’s former books like “It,” it still has a disparity that makes it stand out, as “The Outsider” does not just put humans against monsters; it puts humans in a fight against their beliefs.
Adaptation and Awards
Though written in 2018, “The Outsider” has been adapted into a TV series. With its creation in 2020, it got a great reception worldwide, and a second season for the series is in place. The Outsider film has received a positive rating with an overall score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 5 nominations from 2020 to 2021.
The Outsider TV series has received a great number of views and engagement with its ten episodes: ‘Fish In A Barrel,’ ‘Roanoke,’ ‘Dark Uncle,’ ‘Que Viene el Coco,’ Tear-Drinker,’ ‘The One About The Yiddish Vampire,’ ‘In The Pines, In The Pines,’ ‘Foxhead,’ ‘Tigers and Bears,’ and ‘Must/Can’t.’
“The Outsider’s” success is not restricted to its series, as the book earned the bestseller spot on Sunday Times. It received the 2019 Best Mystery and Thriller Award from Goodreads.
