Word Processor of the Gods

Stephen King’s word choice in this story reveals key details about tone, setting, and themes. King sets up an unsettling tone by using phrases such as, “Instead, eerily, like a voice from the grave, these words swam up, green ghosts, from the darkness” (288) to describe the mysterious word processor. Furthermore, descriptions of the setting and scenery paint vivid imagery of the world that Richard himself creates. Right after he uses the word processor for the first time, his world “abruptly went gray […] he held on grimly until the world swam back into focus,” emphasizing the break with reality brought about by the word processor (292). Once he deletes his son, he notes that “there was no sound out there now but the cold November wind, blowing grim advisements for winter” (296). Richard creates an unsettling and ominous world with the word processor, one devoid of familiar faces and voices. These elements contrast with the idea that Richard has created his dream world, reinforcing the story’s assertion that technology’s power can be dangerous.