The Science of Stephen King

Torture and fear are used as a motivational tool in this story, but is this an effective strategy? Studies have shown that when negative reinforcement is used with animals, it produces backward or freezing motions in them. When this type of motivational tool is used with people in a work environment, it leads to lower productivity, an unpleasant work environment, and an increase in absenteeism. Why is this so? Our brains are wired to respond to these outside stimuli. We have rewards to ensure repeated behavior and rewards to ensure that a behavior is terminated. Our most accessible memories tend to be the ones that have an extreme positive or negative reward experience attached to them.

Torture is not a new concept when motivating people. The ancient Romans and Greeks incorporated torture into their judicial systems and legal proceedings. Torture during the Middle Ages was often a public spectacle used to induce fear into the spectators. The torture of those who were presumed to be witches was common during the early modern period and it wasn’t until the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries that torture was legally abolished.

Dick Morrison only succumbs to one cigarette during his “treatment” and pays the price. This motivates him to quit smoking for good and he becomes part of the 98 percent success rate. How difficult is it to quit smoking? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 68 percent of smokers want to quit. Formal programs have a higher success rate for cessation of the habit compared to those who try to go it alone. People who complete a treatment program are successful 20 to 40 percent of the time while those who try to quit on their own are only successful in 3 to 5 percent of cases.6

Why is it so difficult to give up nicotine? Nicotine is considered to be just as addictive as heroin, cocaine, or alcohol. The body’s response to the drug is to release a kick of adrenaline. This stimulates several parts of the body including the brain which releases dopamine in the pleasure portion. Nicotine causes people to feel less stress, feel more relaxed, and experience a higher level of concentration. But not all the effects are positive. Nicotine causes an increase in blood clotting, the forming of plaque in artery walls, and changes in blood pressure.

The benefits of quitting smoking are immediate and robust. Those who quit have a lowered risk for lung cancer, a reduced risk for heart disease and stroke, and reduced respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.7 Within days people also report an increase in their sense of smell and taste. Regardless of your method for quitting smoking, it is recommended that you stop. But probably do your research on the company that you sign up with so you don’t end up like Dick Morrison!

SECTION TWO

The 1980s

CHAPTER SEVEN

Cujo

Stephen King knew he was an addict in 1975 and struggled with alcohol and other addictions over the next decade. Somehow, he was able to write the novel Cujo while in a complete blackout state. He doesn’t remember much about the writing process itself, but he does remember the inspiration. In 1977, he took his motorcycle to a mechanic who lived outside of Bridgton, Maine, as King described to be “in the middle of nowhere.”

I took the bike out there, and I just barely made it. And this huge Saint Bernard came out of the barn, growling. Then this guy came out and … I was retreating, and wishing that I was not on my motorcycle, when the guy said, “Don’t worry. He don’t bite.” And so I reached out to pet him, and the dog started to go for me. And the guy walked over and said, “Down Gonzo,” or whatever the dog’s name was and gave him this huge whack on the rump, and the dog yelped and sat down. The guy said, “Gonzo never done that before. I guess he don’t like your face.” And that became the central situation of the book, mixed with those old “movies of the week,” the made-for-television movies that they used to have on ABC. I thought to myself, what if you could have a situation that was an extension of one scene. It would be the ultimate TV movie. There would be one set, there would be one room. You’d never even have to change the camera angle. So, there was one very small place, and it became Donna’s Pinto—and everything just flowed from that situation—the big dog and the Pinto.1

The novel is written without chapters, akin to a stream-of-consciousness flow. “There’s one novel, Cujo, that I barely remember writing at all. I don’t say that with pride or shame, only with a vague sense of sorrow and loss. I like that book. I wish I could remember enjoying the good parts as I put them down on the page.”2 Some view the novel as one of King’s greatest metaphors for addiction. This beast is lurking, trying to kill us, and we may feel completely helpless against it.