Author Research

Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947. King came from a broken home, which in some ways could be reasoning for his separation of families present in his novel "The Eyes of the Dragon". A need to feel okay about some things is expressed in some peoples work. This feeling of abandonment can be from Stephen King's constant need of a full set of parents. I am sure in this Stephen King feels strongly about showing the true need for a family just as he has with Thomas needing satisfaction from his father, King Roland. Stephen King became active in politics and seemed to have a conservative mind. This seems to humor me in the instance that Stephen King's work has anything but a conservative meaning. Stephen King supported the anit-war movement as well which is another weird case of irony because in this book, violence is present in multiple events. I am assuming that even though Stephen King seems to be some what of a Quaker, he also feels strongly about writing the exact opposite of his beliefs. From this I am concurring that Stephen King is a shy person, who does not want to express his true feelings. His inability to express what he truly feels is an indication of a lack of self confidence and self expression. Stephen King hides his true feelings by reverse psychology and talking and describing exactly what he hates. In an interview with Yankee magazine he said, "I'm leery [cautious] of thinking I'm somebody. Because nobody really is. Everybody is able to do something well, but in this country there's a premium [special value] put on stardom."( Stephen King Biography - family, children, name, story, school, mother, young, book, old, information, born http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ki-Lo/King-Stephen.html#ixzz1UUfhjh4N) Stephen King is a very humble man, and his stories seem to have great meanings. Stephen King wants people to learn more which is also a reason why he wrote his book "On Writing". This book tells about Stephen King and also the struggles he had to deal with. Once again Stephen King is writing about his feelings which also shows his true love for writing. I have looked all over the internet and very rarely do I find anything other than factual information about Stephen King. Stephen King is a man of mysteries that you can only find out about within his works. Most writer love the glory but Stephen King seems to be a little more on the reserved side. I find that he who is truly great does not need applaud only satisfaction from those he wants to please. I am surprised to find this information out, because I viewed Stephen King as an ego maniac, who was eager for attention from his horrific stories, but also happy to find out that he is a good man just trying to cover up his fears. This humble, yet artistic man has provided many scholarships for many different schools as well as donate to different charities. In return of not only his moral character but his ability to entertain, Stephen King has won many, well deserved awards.                                 






Works Cited

• "Stephen King Biography - family, children, name, story, school, mother, young, book, old, information, born."Encyclopedia of World Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Aug. 2011. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ki-Lo/King-Stephen.html>.
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  "Stephen King’s “On Writing” – A Comprehensive Review and Summary « About Writing – The Personal Blog of Pace J Miller." About Writing – The Personal Blog of Pace J Miller. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Aug. 2011. <http://pacejmiller.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/stephen-kings-on-writing-a-comprehensive-review-and-summary/>.
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  "StephenKing.com - About the Author." Welcome to StephenKing.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Aug. 2011. <http://www.stephenking.com/th

Final

As I am looking back on this book, I become even more thankful for Stephens great detail, in a few amount of words. I do know that this may seem to be unimportant to some people but I am not a very good reader, and his simplification of even the most complicated events seem to make this an enjoyable reading. I do think that the suspense King wanted was definitely accomplished in making me want to read more find out what is really going on. Because of this book, I also seemed to change my personal beliefs on certain issues such as the "pride" circumstances in which I talked about in one of my past quotes. Also the theme of the story I chose, and created my self also spoke great measures to me. I sometimes am influenced by others feelings and opinions but this book just further encouraged me that as long as I stay true to myself and my priorities in life, then I am able to have an outcome I want. Good characteristics and good morals what not what conflict was about in this story but he did seem to play a great part in the outcome. I look at this book as a book of motivation and deem it good reading for anyone in need of a reality check. I also was in much amazement at the extensive use of different literary elements that King did use without so much of a hassle. This shows that the value of any type of reading or writing can be increased by uses of correct forms of writing. I learned much from this novel and most certainly plan on reading more of King's works.

The Eyes of the Dragon Pages242-380 August 8

So finally the climax of the story has begun when Flagg has discovered something is going on and he decides to check up on Peter. We feel suspense when Flagg knocks down the door and screams "Here I come dear Peter. To chop off your head." We know that Peter is trying his best to secure his knot for his napkin but unfortunately we also know that, yes the napkins were strong enough when Peter tested a short rope, but we also know that as the weight is spread through out a longer rope the rope will break. We want Peter to make it out alive but while we are wondering about the strength of the napkins, we are also curious as to if he will make it out before Flagg kills him. We become right in both cases. Flagg does come up but decides to allow Peter to be the cause of his own death. The rope made with his napkins, that I have declared as symbolic of his mother, does break, but his fall is cushioned by a pile of the napkins Dennis, Ben, and Naomi created for him. Peters mother was there supporting him the whole time and keeping him "alive". I am declaring the theme of this book to be "stay true to yourself, and let your character determine your faith". Peters good moral standings and great character allowed others to have faith in him and understand that he is not the killer. FLagg got exactly what he deserved and the "good man" came out on top.

The Eyes of the Dragon Pages 311-241 August 8

King is a man of many words, and sometimes he likes to simplify stuff but other times he like to describe in great detail. King uses PATHOS, the device used to cloud our feelings of a character because of emotional standings, to create a turn around feeling on Thomas. I am assuming that this is foreshadowing a forgiveness between the brothers because just as a Hindu Proverb once said "Help your brother's boat across, and your own will reach the shore." This foreshadowing also shows the need of Thomas in some way because Peter in forgiving him, I believe may also expect some form of help from him. We the readers feel bad for Thomas because on page 333 King describes him as such a weak and innocent soul, we seem to forget the evil, and hope for a reuniting between the brothers. King also uses metaphors to keep our interest in this slightly boring book to keep our attention such as the one made by Flagg on page 336 between people and oxen. I do appreciate King for doing so...

The Eyes of the Dragon Pages 278-310 August 7

Stephen King decided to use multiple forms of writing techniques and ways in these couple of pages. On page 286, a more poetic form of writing is used by King when the drunken Guard is singing a sweet melodic song about the different women he has dated. Alliteration is used in such phrases as " Marchy-Marchy-Melda", and "Darchy-Darchy-Darla". The Guard says these silly phrases in a rhyme and this tone of the guard allows me to feel a little less fearful of him. Dennis' dream of a candle blowing out, seems to foreshadow a death of Peter, because in the past we have described Peter has the "white light". As we all know though, you can light a fire just as easily as you can blow it out, so I am assuming that yes Peter will encounter a downfall to his escape, but he will "light the fire" again and all will be well. Another form of symbolism is used by the locket that Peter found in his room. The locket, at this time, is another representation of revenge for others. Valera, the guy who was wrongfully accused of murdering his wife, got his story out by this locket and hoped to eventually have revenge on Flagg by showing him that we know he killed his wife. The locket also represents revenge for Dennis as well against Flagg, because even though Flagg used him against his own friend, Peter, the locket contained a special note giving Dennis hope that all was okay. Dennis I believe will now be plotting with Peter for his escape and revenge against Flagg. This locket did more than anyone could have asked for.

The Eyes of the Dragon Pages 249-279

The topic and main literary device of this section seems to be suspense. We begin to see a change when Peyna does decide to put away his pride and help Prince Peter and Dennis, but what leaves us wondering and in suspense is whether or not Peyna and Dennis will be able to help in time. This scene reminds me of Romeo and Juliet. Peter has decided that he will attempt his rope escape during the worst storm ever so that people can not see him. Even though he understands that this escape may be the death of him, he feels lonely and feels no other option, even though Peyna and Dennis are on their way to rescue. Peter does not know this and this keeps me, the reader, curious and eager to see what will actually be the outcome. I feel that the constant pace that Peter has been keeping, and the giving of the actual time of his escape is foreshadowing a close race to Peter's life. Romeo and Juliet had this same suspense and unfortunately ended in a tragedy. I am just hoping they hurry to Peter.

The Eyes of the Dragon Pages 221-248 August 7

In this section we learn of the brilliant plan that Peter has incorporated his napkins and dollhouse into. We see sheer brilliance in the fact that Peter uses the working dollhouse to weave together a rope from the napkins that he slowly pulls apart piece by piece. From this small rope Peter will hopefully escape the 300 foot high tower. In making this rope Peter remembers something that Yosef said about oxen pulling heavy bricks. Yosef said that the oxen has to use a harness because the ropes used to pull bricks have only a certain amount until they break. Not only was Yosef telling Peter factual information but he was also giving him a life lesson. On page 229 Yosef states that breaking strain "is a good thing for a Prince to know about, Peter. Chains break if you put on enough of a tug, and people do, too..." Yosef at the time was teaching the young prince that if you push people too far they will go off the edge. The breaking strain now becomes a symbol of the constant struggle Peter must keep in order to "make it work" with out pushing too far. In this case it is not only the breaking strain of the rope, but his own breaking strain. He must take it slow and not overwhelm himself, for even he might go over the edge. We also see a little bit of deja vu when Peter discover a locket that has a picture of a woman and note describing the set up of a man murdering his wife by Flagg. Peter has seen that Flagg has done this before and this revenge for this lost soul seems to be even more of a motivation for Peter to succeed.

The Eyes of the Dragon Quote 10 Page 265

" Pride's a joke that'll make the stranger inside you laugh sooner, or later..." Peyna, the judge, tries to keep this quote in mind when he is determining Peter's fate. I will remember this quote for the rest of my life, because since I can remember I always glorified pride, but when I saw it in this sense, I began to realize how stupid I was for putting my pride, over logic and reasoning just as Peyna has done in past judging of Peters "crime". Peyna had a huge reputation to uphold, and even though Peter was a King in his eyes, if he had let someone run over him, King or not, then he would be viewed as weak, which is certainly not what a judge wants. Sometimes in life we have to let go of our pride and allow ourselves to step back and have an unbiased view on a situation. Sometimes we may be right about a matter, but other times we realized that our opinions are far from that of the majority, and even though we let our "pride" choose our outcome, in the end we may laugh at ourselves and see just how silly it was of us.

The Eyes of the Dragon Quote 9 Page 246

"Guilt is like a sore, endlessly fascinating, and the guilty party feels compelled to examine it and pick at it, so that it never really heals." Have you ever done something wrong, and try yourself to fix it and mend it but in the end you are only making matters worse, and if you would have just left it alone it would have been forgotten? Guilt seems to be an emotion that we feel we must fix. Sadly we are greatly mistaken and by fixing we are only "reopening the wound". We as humans make mistakes and we must allow them to heal. It is not the mistake that makes us but simply what we learn from the mistakes. Dennis has constantly experienced this guilt, ever since he went against his true master, Peter, and now he feels compelled to fix everything by helping Thomas. Thomas as we know is not exactly a perfect man and Dennis helping Thomas, seems to only help Flagg, which is definitely not what Dennis wants to do. This need for satisfaction seems to be Dennis' flaw, and even though unintentional, he is the wound picker.

The Eyes of the Dragon Quote 8 Page 226

"He pulled even harder, the rope still held, and he felt more hope come stealing into his heart..." Peter has been working on this rope from the napkins he has asked for and is diligent on creating this tool. The napkins now symbolize to me his mother, and the rope being the relationship of he and his mother. Yes the napkins are only there when he eats at certain times of the day and when he is trying to construct his getaway but they always remain close to his heart. When Peter pulled on this rope and found that no matter how small, or how hard the tug was it still held together his heart became overjoyed to know that all was falling into place. This instance is the same for his mother. Even though his mother had been pulled away from him, just as he was tugging on the rope, their bond, their relationship and love for each other stayed strong and his mother became that hope in his heart. This rope of napkins simply created a closeness for the two that had once been tampered with and now has rekindled.

The Eyes of the Dragon Quote 7 Page 194

"I have decided to live. I did not murder my father." Yes, the prince is being literal here as he wants to stay alive and breath, but here he makes a turning point and a huge decision. This quote can be a strong knowing of hope for the reader. Peter has been trapped in the Needle, but he has decided it will be no more. He is going to fight back. This can be looked at as a dramatic change in character for this young man, who has normally been humble and kind. Prince Peter has now decided to take back what is his and to become King. This burst of confidence foreshadows a battle to win back his right as King, and unfortunately now not only is Flagg standing in the way, but Thomas as well. I am not sure if this adrenaline will be enough to go against his own flesh and blood, I am worried his good morals will kick in.

The Eyes of the Dragon Quote 6 Page 162

"Take my arm then," he said, "in case I stumble." This quote is showing the developing trust Thomas has for Flagg. Thomas does not want to become King and when he does he feels the need to have "help" in doing so, which essentially is exactly what Flagg wants. Thomas is trusting Flagg to catch him when he falls, but even though Flagg is holding him now, Thomas is in his hands and Flagg can drop him whenever he feels the need to. This betrayal is similar to the betrayal Ariel experienced with Ursala. Ursala told Ariel she would help her get legs but ended up taking her voice, and eventually her man! Flagg is soon to come to the point where he will take back what he needs and just like Ursala, leave Thomas out to die.

The Eyes of the Dragon Quote 5 Page 161

"You're not dying of fear as you think, but you are indeed a rabbit in a trap." Peter was comparing himself to a rabbit dying of a heart attack from being trapped in this metaphor, but Flagg then thinks to himself another thought upon the rabbit comparison. Flagg has the trust of the boy and is using it to fulfill his wants, his alterior motives. This quote also comes into great importance of the story because it seems to foreshadow that Flagg has done something to Thomas that will kill him eventually, and all will fall into place. Thomas is Flaggs rabbit in the trap, because even though the rabbit (Thomas), got the carrot (the crown), the hunter (Flagg), still gets the glory, the rabbit, and his trap back...

The Eyes of the Dragon Quote 4 Page 115

"The King was dead; the Kingdom was momentarily headless." Okay, so what comes to mind here automatically? Headless Horseman? I thought so. Well lets say that the Kingdom is the headless horseman before he lost his head. Yes, when the horseman had his head he was dangerous, but once his head was severed he became hungry for revenge and much more dangerous. The Kingdom was having problems before the King died, but now that the kingdom is "headless" it seems to pose a much greater threat to the people. Revenge is near and unfortunately is to come. This Kingdom is in great need of a head to "keep calm, and carry on".

The Eyes of the Dragon Quote 3 Page 68

"A dullard may mistake the rattle of a Biter-Snake for the sound of pebbles in a hollow gourd and put his hand out to touch it," Brandon said, "but our prince is not dullard..." Dennis said this quote to show the intelligence of the prince. I looked up what a dullard is and I found that a dullard is a slow, or stupid person. This quote is easily understood, but also has another meaning. I myself am no dullard but I could possibly mistake the snake for pebbles. Dennis saying the prince would not mistaken the two says that the prince is not only smart but also is observant. He pays close attention to all five of his sensse and this seems to be heavy in the sense of hearing. I may be going far out on this one but this quote could also prove the princes' ability to listen. Peter wants to please the people and he takes in careful consideration to what others want. This quote has both a literal and underlying meaning and helps to describe the princes' great qualities.

The Eyes of the Dragon Quote 2 Page 66

"In him, they saw again the coming of the White. that ancient resilient, yet humble force that has redeemed humankind again and again and again." This is the peoples' description of Peter who seems to be there hope of a great world. He is their night in shining armor and the people love him for this. As we all know the color white means pure and innocent, but that has no relevance to the quote at hand, so I further researched this color white and found that white is one of the only colors that goes well with any other color. Now i understand that the people are not colors but just like the color White, Peter gets a long and connects with just about any other person. Peter tries to connect with the others and the people love him for that. White is also the color of brilliance according to desktoppub.com. Peter in all ways is brilliant and in my opinion considering the two "new" definitions of white, Peter is the epitome of the color. So when the people say that Peter is the coming of the White, I will most certainly have to agree. Peter is there light and there hope.

The Eyes of the Dragon Pages 187-220 August 6

We finally hear more of our prince. Peter has given Peyna a letter describing his "needs" while in his prison. The tone of the note shows us the Prince is back in charge and is staying strong. One is example is "The sum you will notice, is very small. That is because I require only two things. If you will arrange for Beson to "wet his beak" so that I may have them, I'll trouble you no more." Even though Peter is kind with his asking of favors, his tone is still demanding with the word's he uses such as "require" and saying "I will trouble you no more". Peter's choice of words seem as a command and not a question. This tone gives us a thought that Peter may be once again taking charge and he will eventually save everyone from Flagg's crooked plans. We know that Peter wants certain items but when we find out that they are his mother's dollhouse and royal napkins without the crest, we know that Peter has other plans with then. This want of the items leaves us with suspense as to what Peter will use them for in his escape. Peyna, Peters judge, also seems to have the epiphany that Fagg could be the murderer but just as Thomas did, he keeps quite. Ben is involved of the exchanging of items for Peter's plan and just as he is a true friend to Peter, he knows that Peter did not do this and King uses a hyperbole to exaggerate the loyalty Ben has for Peter; " I would pay such a price a hundred times over again...". We know that Ben literally would not have to do this but in his heart we know that he would do anything for Peter, his bestfriend. Ben is grateful when he is allowed to bring in the dollhouse to Peter and has skillfully hid a note for Peter stating that he and Dennis both know he is innocent and he loves him. This letter is a symbol of hope and we can see that Peter see's then when on page 220 King states that " For the first time he began to think that his plan, wild and dangerous as it was, might have a chance of succeeding."

The Eyes of the Dragon Pages 156-186 August 6

So to sum of this section, I will call it the attempted takeover of Thomas, the next heir to the throne. King has decided to use many metaphors and similes in this section to allow the reader to better understand the point he is trying to make. On page 161, paragraph 5, and 6, metaphors are used to compare Thomas to a scared rabbit. We see rabbits as small, lost little creatures and at this time that is exactly what Thomas is. Not only has he lost his father but his brother is now in prison and Thomas must take over. Thomas does not want to be King and thinks that he will die, not from poison like his father, but from fear, just like a rabbit in a trap. This comparison allows the reader to have sympathy for the small child even though we know he has a past of slight evil, and is a direct comparison which does not use like or as, like a simile does. Flagg then makes a comment to himself, "You're not dying of fear as you think...", this to me is foreshadowing another death in the royal family, but one much slower. This lost boy, who obviously has no one to trust, has put his faith in the worst person possible, Flagg. This is evident in Thomas asking Flagg to hold his arm in case he stumbles on page 162. Thomas is trusting that Flagg will take care of him, and I know that eventually this will come back to haunt, or possibly kill him. Revenge is also seen in this section when Thomas "hoped Peter was looking down and biting his lips in frustration until the blood flowed down his chin as Thomas had often bitten his own lips-bitten them until there was a fine white network of scars there." this need for revenge could possibly explain why Thomas did not speak up when he finally had his epiphany of Flagg being the killer, and not his own brother.

The Eyes of the Dragon Pages 125-155 August 5

The court's decision is made in this section, and all evidence given from Dennis has been shown. The village is hurt because they saw Peter as the "white light" and now betrayal is from Peter to his community. As I have already completed the Handmaid's Tales, I can not help but to see a similarity on how their society views them as people. Offred who was once strong and independent, was later viewed as weak and unimportant when her role changed from human to Handmaid. Peter, who was once seen as kind, yet strong, is now hated and resented. Both became prisoners in a world they thought was once their's both on accounts they could not change, nor was their fault. Offred actually hoped for a change which she called reconstruction, and ironically the change the people of Delain wanted a change as well which on page 125 they called "construction". Both societies at one point were fine just the way they were and now both are at a loss.

The Eyes of the Dragon Pages 94-124 August 4

The main purpose of this section of the book is to describe and depict the actions that led up to Peter's arrest, and the nasty tricks Flagg pulled to once again manipulate others to fall for his ways. One of the main literary elements King used in this section was internal conflict, between characters and themselves. Dennis, Peter's "servant", and friend, unfortunately fell into Flagg's trap and stumbled over evidence proving that Peter was indeed the killer of King Roland. Dennis was a kind character who respected Peter greatly. Dennis looked up to him, and when he discovered this tragic scene he became confused. He could not decide within himself whether or not to tell someone about his findings of the murder. He became depressed and we the audience begin to sympathize for Dennis. Dennis' internal conflict allows us to see the murder from a different view and also shows the true loyalty some had for the Prince. Sadly this loyalty was betrayed and Dennis told his father. He decided to go with his good moral values and tell on Prince Peter. He did not do it to harm him, but to keep Delain safe. This hurt Dennis greatly, and if I had to choose one theme for this one section then it would be to listen to your heart, because if Dennis would have, then all would truly be okay and safe.

The Eyes of the Dragon pages 62-93 august 3

So in this part of the book I am discovering even more of Flaggs hidden plans. In the beginning part of this section we are told that Flagg has been coming to Delain for many and many of years, but as a different person with a different name each time. Flagg has now become a symbol of a plague. Everytime he comes to this village, his evil slowly spreads from one person to the next, and just like the Black Plague he goes through his targets and does not stop until all is demolished. He is feared by many but still is not feares by Peter. We see how the people see Peter as hope and according to page 66 he is the "coming of the White". As you know the white stands for purity but also stands for rebirth. Peter is the villages chance at a new beginning before " the plague" hits. We know that Flagg does not want this reconstruction and King highlights this point by his constant repetition of the phrase "He must be put out of the way, the boy must be put out of the way". More foreshawdoing is used because even though it has not been stated, we know that Flaggs plot to kill the king with Dragon sand in the wine Peter brings him every night will eventually lead to a belief of Peter killing the King and Flagg in control with Thomas in charge.

The Eyes of the Dragon Quote 1 Page 39

"Time only passes faster in histories, and what is a history except a grand sort of tale where passing centuries are substituted for passing years?" The time frame within this story seems to jump from one year to the next. The book describes this as a tale, or a "fast pace life story". This quote seems to have an underlying meaning that yes we are hearing the "history" of this royal family, but in a much quicker and fast pace version. King, in my opinion, is smart to do so in keeping the readers interest. Yes, he in some instances is great on detail, but only when needed. This quote actually really is almost awkwardly placed because it does not pertain to the story, but is King's little reminder to be mindful that he is doing us, the readers, a favor by creating an easy read. King could be using anagrams and elongating every instance, every word, and every event like poet Unica Zurn but his kindness and consideration seems to be a shocker for this horror writer. Yes this quote to me is more about the author, but it is his way of what I call "tooting his own horn". Just so you know, I am patting his back for doing so.

The Eyes of the Dragon Pages 32-61 August 3

So even though I thought my foreshadowing was wrong, I was correct. I find out in this section of my reading that Flagg indeed was the cause of Sasha's death. Flagg bribed Sasha's housewife to kill her during of the birth of Thomas, in return for Flagg saving the Housewife's dying son. This now has become dramatic irony because the people in the story including Peter and the King, thought that Thomas, the child that Sasha was giving birth to when she was murdered, was the cause of the mother's death, even though we know that Flagg, with his promise of attending Sasha's funeral, was actually the mastermind behind the death. This was one of the reasons Thomas felt like the "black sheep" of the family. Thomas, the youngest heir was also a very envious man over his older brother. Peter was morally correct, caring, and helpful young man and everyone saw this. Speaking of tri-colons, which I just so happened to use, King has used tri-colons to enhance his description of certain objects, one example being on page 55 where King describes Thomas to be a "...sad boy, a confused boy, and often an unlucky boy." King masterminds the effect of detailed description in minimal words, which makes the book easier to follow. I have also noticed that as certain details become more, and more important in the story, King used repetition in many different instances; page 46 "Put that down, put it down,...do you hear, so put that down", page 47 "Turrible pain for the horse. Turrible pain.". Although this is only two instances I have noticed two patterns in his use of repetition, he usually repeats the phrase or word twice, and they seem to always describe some tragedy. This book seems to be very predictable, but also very interesting.

The Eyes of the Dragon Pages 1-33 August 2

This book already seems to jump out at me because of the author. Stephen King has written this twisted fairy tale story and even though people say "dont judge a book by its cover" I cant help but get a little excited when I grab a book with a dragon's head staring directly at me. This is the type of books Stephen King writes. All of the horrors and terrors you can imagine in this world have been turned into a book by this creepy man. So even though this books speaks of simply a fairytale, I know that some form of evil will be involved. We are introduced into this story by an explanation about a "mediocre" king who needless to say is coming to an end of his rule and the story of his heir, his oldest son Peter, and his wife Sasha, whom ironically was picked by the King's magician Flagg. Already the actions Flagg has taken has created him into a dynamic character in that we know and can assume much about him. Flagg is a conniving man with a one track mind...to "rule" the king. Flagg is like the Jimminey Cricket to Pinocchio, except he is more of a negative conscious. Flagg put Sasha in a group, full of weak women who he knows will allow him to continue his authority over the king, for the King to pick. Little did he know Sasha was anything but weak. Irony is present in one particular situation where the "weak" woman Flagg chose actually wins over the Kings decision when Flagg wants a group of boys to be beheaded for trying to leave. Sasha, who defies the societal role of women mentioned in our extra credit, convinces the King they were only leaving to help their family. The King takes the side of the woman that Flagg had given to him. Flagg is upset and in the time that he is upset it is foreshadowing he will attempt to kill Sasha evident on page 31 "Flagg smiled at the pardon, but he swore in his heart then that he would attend Sasha's funeral." Even though he is not directly stating a killing, his mention of this can only allow to think he will be the cause of her death. The death of the queen does come but not at the hand of Flagg. She dies in childbirth and this is tragedy around the village, especially to her then 5 year old son who specifically now only has one memory of his mother...a white napkin. The white napkin to the son was a minute problem he had in his manner skills but to me, the reader, this memory of his mom, a white napkin, is much more. White is symbolic for pure. Just as his mother was a kind soul, she was at heart a child, still innocent and pure. On Sasha and the King's wedding night, when the King undressed Sasha was clueless as to what his body parts were. "It is King's Iron" said the King. This innocence and purity not only in her virtue but her heart as well. Another image that is put in my head is her dollhouse. I seem to have a great rememberance of it because of Kings great use of imagery. He spoke of working water in the dollhouse, a real actual hot stove, and vivid colors. This not only provides a image but leaves me with a warm feeling. I am interested in to see the true tragedy of this all, and considering Flaggs motives and past, I believe he will be the antagonist and root of the conflict in this story.