Why Contradiction Makes Characters Compelling

Analysis of "Misery" by Stephen King

📖 Misery is a classic suspense novel by Stephen King.

✍️ I studied Misery and discovered techniques you can apply to your own writing.

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My analysis is broken into four posts:

Part 1: How to put readers into the mind of a character

Part 2: The unorthodox chapter design of Misery

Part 3: Why contradiction makes characters compelling

Part 4: How to layer settings like Stephen King

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Here is Part 3:

Annie Wilkes is one of Stephen’s Kings most infamous characters.

In Misery, she keeps writer Paul Sheldon locked in the bedroom of her secluded Colorado home, forcing him to write a novel for her.

Annie has captured the minds of readers since Misery was published in 1987, and later again with the film adaptation in 1990.

Kathy Bates’ portrayal of Annie Wilkes in the Misery film.

But why is Annie Wilkes so compelling?

It’s all related to how her appearance contradicts her true nature.

Here’s how Stephen King uses contradiction to make Annie Wilkes compelling:

The most compelling characters have a characterization that contradicts their true nature.

Remember: There’s a difference between character and characterization.

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🔍 Characterization includes all the observable, surface-level details of someone.

This could be their age, gender, style of speech, clothing, etc.

But this doesn’t give us the full picture.

Character is revealed in the choices someone makes under pressure.

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Annie Wilkes does not fit the typical image of a killer.

She’s a sweet looking nurse who wears comfy sweaters and frequently mentions the Bible. She even gets angry at Paul Sheldon for swearing.

Her characterization is that of a kind, small-town woman.

It’s only as she makes choices throughout the story that we see the mask slip and her true nature is revealed.

She’s a monster.

To keep Paul trapped in her home, she must take increasingly drastic actions throughout the story.

Who can forget the axe scene?

The reader eventually learns that Annie has a history of murder that stretches back decades.

Would Annie be as interesting of a character if she appeared more “killer-like”?

Defintiely not.

It’s the fact that she doesn’t match the conventional idea of a killer that makes her so compelling.

Readers get to experience the fascinating contradiction between her characterization and character.

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Continue reading my Misery analysis:

Part 1: How to put readers into the mind of a character

Part 2: The unorthodox chapter design of Misery

Part 3: Why contradiction makes characters compelling

Part 4: How to layer settings like Stephen King

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