Fairy Tale Motif

King incorporates references to a variety of fairy tales in his novel to help the reader think of the story as a fairy tale rather than just a horror or fantasy novel. Rumpelstiltskin frequently appears in the novel to keep him in the front of Charlie’s mind so he will remember how to destroy Gogmagog when he encounters that novel. King is able to adapt his writing to the style of a fairy tale because so many fairy tales are horror stories when read in their original forms.

Without the references to fairy tales, King’s readers might interpret this novel as just another of King’s horror stories. Unrealistic situations — like other worlds, horrible creatures, and curses — are often staples of King’s writing. King includes references and comparisons to other fairy tales to help the reader think of his novel specifically...