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I appreciate the rawness and attempt at being inside a traumatized, mentally ill high schooler’s head in this short story. The way King describes the mental struggles and flashbacks that the main character endured throughout this short story lead up to the significance of the title. Not to get psychological, but anger is more easily expressed than sadness and other emotions, so this title fit perfectly even in today’s society of young men suppressing any emotions. I’m not saying any actions in this story are justified, but one can begin to understand the rage.
“When you’re five and you hurt, you make a big noise unto the world. At ten, you whimper. But by the time you make fifteen, you begin to eat the poisoned apples that grow on your own inner tree of pain. It’s the Western Way of Enlightenment. You begin to cram your fists into your mouth to stifle the scream. You bleed on the inside.”
It’s interesting to read this in the present day and be struck with the thought that nothing has changed in regard to school shootings and men’s mental health being stigmatized. Early life experiences, especially traumatic ones, stick with a child and leak into their early adulthood especially.
“When you’re five and you hurt, you make a big noise unto the world. At ten, you whimper. But by the time you make fifteen, you begin to eat the poisoned apples that grow on your own inner tree of pain. It’s the Western Way of Enlightenment. You begin to cram your fists into your mouth to stifle the scream. You bleed on the inside.”
It’s interesting to read this in the present day and be struck with the thought that nothing has changed in regard to school shootings and men’s mental health being stigmatized. Early life experiences, especially traumatic ones, stick with a child and leak into their early adulthood especially.