Night Shift

King uses indirect characterization to describe Charles Boone, the narrator and protagonist of “Jerusalem’s Lot.” Through his letters to Bones, Charles reveals that he experienced a breakdown after the death of his wife, Sarah, and has relocated to Chaplewaite to continue recovery. Charles begins his letters to Bones in awe of his new surroundings. However, Boone’s initial optimism sharply contrasts with the suspenseful atmosphere created through his depiction of Chaplewaite. Boone’s description of the remote ancestral summer home, which at first serves as a reprieve, is unwittingly dark and foreboding. Although Boone maintains that he is happy with the grand property, his diction suggests an apprehension; he consistently uses negative words, such as “sinister,” “lunatic,” and “horrific” to communicate his perception of Chaplewaite. Further, Boone’s piqued interest and use of language—e.g., “dizzying” and “perplexed”—suggest he anticipates unearthing a mystery. Boone dismissively regards the villagers’ fear of Chaplewaite with amusement and curiosity, traits that lead to his downfall: “We know how rustics dearly love to enrich their lives with the smell of scandal and myth” (6).

King also uses direct characterization through Cal to convey Boone’s deteriorating state.