Misery

by

Stephen King

Misery: Part 3, Chapters 23-33 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Paul drifts in a morphine stupor. Still looking at the grill, he starts to have an idea, but he falls asleep. Later, he wakes and “the boys in the sweatshop” of his imagination reinvoke the idea of burning something. Paul considers whether Annie was right about Fast Cars being “a bad book” compared to Misery’s Return. He grapples with the truth: the books he thought of as his “real work” failed to garner the critical attention he desired. Perhaps he never hated Misery, but the fact that she was more popular than him. There is lighter fluid near the grill. Paul would be devastated if Annie made him burn Misery’s Return, but he realizes the important question is how much it would hurt Annie.
In this scene, Paul’s imagination seems to work on “having an idea” without his input, again characterizing inspiration as partially uncontrolled. While Paul previously thought of himself as being trapped by the Misery novels, here he takes a different view. By becoming more popular than Paul, Misery gained a life of her own, freeing herself from her author. It is possible that Paul killed her out of wounded pride, just as Annie would rather see Paul dead than free. Annie’s obsession with Misery means depriving her of the story’s ending will cause her the most suffering, making her vulnerable in a way Paul can exploit.
Themes
Addiction, Compulsion, and Obsession Theme Icon
Fiction, Reality, and Coping Theme Icon
Control and Entrapment Theme Icon
Annie returns late in the afternoon, exhausted. Paul refuses her offer of another morphine shot, not wanting her to find the lighter fluid tucked into his underpants. She carries him back to his room and sets out some paper and pencils. Paul tells her he should be able to finish the book in under two weeks, and he asks her not to read anymore so the ending won’t feel fragmented. It will be, in his words, “very hot stuff.” Annie sleeps for the rest of the day. In the evening, Paul hides the lighter fluid behind a loose baseboard. He writes for four hours before turning in.
The lighter fluid Paul steals suggests he has a plan, though the specifics are unclear to the reader. With the police sure to investigate the young officer’s appearance in the coming weeks, Paul now has a stricter deadline for finishing Misery. His remark that the ending will be “hot” alludes to whatever fiery revenge he has planned for Annie.
Themes
Fiction, Reality, and Coping Theme Icon
Suffering, Justice, and the Human Condition Theme Icon
Control and Entrapment Theme Icon
In chapter 37 of Misery’s Return, Geoffrey is waiting outside the tent of the Bourkas chief, whose hut is filled with torches. He intends to kill the chief when Hezekiah leads him out from inside the tent. The chapter is interrupted midsentence, as Paul hears an approaching vehicle. When Annie rushes in, he has already moved away from the window. She decides to trust Paul, closing the door but not locking it. Two state police officers exit the car: a large man who Paul calls Goliath, and a smaller plainclothesman he thinks of as David. Paul weighs his options but ultimately chooses to stay hidden, because he wants to take care of Annie himself. He alone knows how to hurt her.
Strangely, in trusting Paul not to reveal himself, Annie seems to imagine them as accomplices working together to avoid detection. Of course, she and Paul both know that they’re enemies, and that his life depends upon remaining silent, but at this point, he may choose death over suffering. Paul’s reasoning for staying quiet demonstrates his desire to personally enact vengeful justice on Annie.
Themes
Suffering, Justice, and the Human Condition Theme Icon
Control and Entrapment Theme Icon
Quotes
Annie has been listening to the radio for news of the missing officer, whose name was Duane Kushner. Although his search for Paul has been reported, his disappearance has not yet been connected to Paul’s own. Paul listens as Annie invites David and Goliath inside. Annie answers their questions about Kushner with ease, claiming he seemed disappointed by her lack of intel. When asked what’s down the hall from the parlor, Annie says there is a spare bedroom and bathroom, inviting them to take a look. They decline, but they ask to see the barn. Annie permits this, asking them to say hello to Misery, her pig.
Though Annie does not usually keep up with local news, here she stays informed in order to make her story more believable, illustrating her craftiness. Paul is unsettled by how easily Annie lies to the officers, which highlights how skillfully she maintains her façade of normalcy. 
Themes
Fiction, Reality, and Coping Theme Icon
Suffering, Justice, and the Human Condition Theme Icon
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Misery PDF
After the David and Goliath leave, Annie seems confused. She does not understand why Paul did not scream for help. He assures her that he wants to finish his book—this is true. She urges him on, having seen the officers share a look of unease. Paul keeps writing, pushing toward a climax with Misery’s life hanging in the balance. Three days after the police visit, a news crew arrives, but Annie chases them off with her shotgun. She scrapes gashes into her forehead, telling Paul this is what they want to see. The local police come by as well. Surprisingly, Paul feels a little bad for Annie, who is clearly being harassed. The next time the officers come, she tells Paul, they will have a search warrant.
Oddly enough, even as he plots his revenge, Paul is still compelled to finish the novel. Annie’s confusion about this suggests she suspects Paul has ulterior motives for staying silent, which is partially true—he wants to be the one to kill her. Still, it is worth noting that Paul’s desire to see the novel through to the end plays a significant role in his compliance. Though the harassment Annie faces is a direct result of her previous crimes, it does highlight how sensationalized stories can dehumanize and exploit their subjects. In this way, Annie becomes the Misery-character of her own life, eliciting shameless obsession from the local community.
Themes
Addiction, Compulsion, and Obsession Theme Icon
Fiction, Reality, and Coping Theme Icon
Suffering, Justice, and the Human Condition Theme Icon