Something Wicked This Way Comes Study Guide
A dark fantasy novel from the one of the most renowned authors of modern literature - Ray Bradbury. Despite the author is mostly known for his science fiction novels, “Something Wicked This Way Comes” is a real masterpiece that will send chills down your spine.
The main characters of the story are thirteen-year-old teenagers living in a small town. Jim Nightshade and William Halloway are very different personalities, despite the fact they are best friends. But when the mysterious - and horrifying - travelling carnival arrives, their friendship, family and even their lives are exposed to the grave danger.
This novel will make you remember every horror story told and heard around the campfire. Nevertheless, it isn’t a “horror for teenagers”. The questions raised in “Something Wicked This Way Comes” are very adult - the old age and mortality, family bounds, devotion to the friends and ability to stay cheerful as a child even when you have grown up long ago. Starting from Jim and William, the story expands, making their parents the major characters, showing the story from the perspective of the adults (who, in their turn, were kids when the nightmare carnival came before). Charles Halloway, the father of William, becomes the full-fledged protagonist of the story, trying to protect his son from the imminent danger of supernatural origin. The kids are afraid of the mysterious leader of the carnival, Mr. Dark, but one of the friends still doubts is the carnival really that malicious. May this evil be exploited to save someone from getting old and dying? Or is the price too high to pay?
Author: Arron Johnston
New Essays
In Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, it is suggested among several other themes in the novel that “Perfect Love casts out all fear.” This quote taken from the Gospel of John illustrates the point that where there is unconditional love, and one loves and is loved in return, there is...
Something Wicked This Way Comes Essay, Research Paper In Ray Bradbury?s novel Something Wicked This Way Comes, the two protagonists, boys, both nearly fourteen years old, go by the names of Will and Jim. They live in a small town, next door to each other. Often, they are thought to be complete...
There are many themes present in Something Wicked This Way Comes that surround Mr. Cooger. The primary one is the Knowledge of Good and Evil concerning the carousel and its powers as well as the theme of Karma/ What Goes Around Comes Around. Mr. Cooger is aware of the evil nature of the carousel...
AP Short Form: Title: Something Wicked This Way Comes Author: Ray Bradbury Published: 1962 Main characters: 1. William Halloway – One of the main protagonists of the novel. Will is thirteen years old and has white-blonde hair and eyes “as clear as summer rain. ” Although very obedient, Will is...