FEATURES OF THE DIALOGICAL INTERACTION BETWEEN THE AUTHOR AND THE HERO IN THE NOVEL "MISERY"
Abstract
This article is dedicated to the literary analysis of Stephen King's novel "Misery," which is considered a work of psychological horror, exploring the complex relationships between the author and his audience. The focus is on two key characters — Paul Sheldon and Annie Wilkes, whose relationship is built on a struggle for power and control. The article examines how the central themes of the novel, such as creative freedom, fan obsession, and psychological tension, are revealed through the characters' dialogues. Particular attention is given to Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of dialogism and polyphony, which is applied to the structure of interactions between Paul Sheldon and Annie Wilkes. It explores how dialogues serve as a means of expressing the struggle for creative control and examines the gender aspects of Annie Wilkes' character in the context of Holly Catherine McDonnell's study on the liminality of gender roles. Annie emerges not just as a fan, but as an embodiment of broader social expectations placed. The metafictional element of the novel is highlighted in the discussion of how Annie's demands on Paul to resurrect the character of Misery blur the line between the fictional and the real world. The article emphasizes that Annie's control over Paul's creative process symbolizes the pressure that authors experience from their readers. Examples of dialogues demonstrate how King reflects in the novel the conflict between the author's artistic freedom and the audience's expectations. The article also examines King's work as a metaphor for the relationship between the author and commercialized literature, where authorship confronts the limitations of genre expectations. In conclusion, an analysis of dialogues as the primary tool for creating tension and revealing psychological conflicts is presented, as well as their significance in constructing metafictional themes of control and creative freedom.
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