What metaphors are used in Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King?

Much of the narrative is a metaphor for small town life. The dichotomy of small town life is a common theme in books and movies in which small communities are portrayed as both quaint, idyllic havens and places where secrecy, darkness, and even evil exist. Cycle of the Werewolf takes place in Tarker's Mills, a tiny town in rural Maine that is within easy driving distance of Portland, but is painted as being remote and somewhat cut off from the rest of the world.