25 pages • 50 minutes read
Stephen KingThe Man Who Loved Flowers
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1977A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
King sets the story in 1963 when a number of significant historical shifts took place, some of which are emphasized by the radio on the flower vendor’s cart. Research important occurrences from 1963 and explain how the young man mirrors the turbulence of the time.
The short story is told from the perspective of a third-person omniscient narrator. How would the piece have been impacted had it been told in first person, through the eyes of the young man? Would it still be a thriller that exposes a serial killer? Why? How would the themes have been impacted?
The Four Seasons’ “Sherry” plays in the background after the young man purchases flowers and resumes his journey. Look up the lyrics for the song and consider the name of the band. Why might King have alluded to this particular song? Cite textual examples from both the song and the short story to support your claim.
How do King’s descriptive choices for the nameless narrator impact readers’ and onlookers’ perception of his intentions?
This story is considered a short thriller in King’s usual horror genre. Research the hallmarks of a thriller and provide textual proof of how the text meets the criteria, or where it falls short.
The main character is exposed as a serial killer, but that is only half of his whole. Is the young man truly evil, or is his character sympathetic due to his circumstances? Evaluate and then discuss your choice, considering the importance of recognizing duality in humanity.
The story ends as it begins, with a young man looking for his young love. A somewhat ambiguous ending, it leaves readers to wonder how long this search can continue. Do you think this cycle will perpetuate? Or is an end inevitable? Explain your reasoning.
King’s work is often compared to the horror of Edgar Allan Poe. Read Poe’s short story “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Compare and contrast the two texts, explaining where themes and devices overlap, or where they diverge from one another. Cite textual evidence to back up all assertions.
This is a story about the importance of the need to love and to be loved. King also suggests that the loss of love can manifest in obsessive and violent tendencies. Research similar cases that have culminated in violent crimes, and explain the psychology and biology behind them.
The unnamed young man in the story serves as a universal symbol of the brutality and pain that the loss of a loved one can cause. The horror stems from the protagonist’s inability to deal with the death of his love. Research the stages of grief and strategies to cope with loss.
Related Titles
By Stephen King
