Upsetting The Chain Of Being Stephen King Analysis

Changing Destiny: Upsetting the Chain of Being The Chain of Being is a medieval concept which states every living being’s place in the hierarchy of society. Though ancient, it applies to William Shakespeare 's Macbeth and Stephen King’s “Gramma.” Upsetting the Chain of Being by George from Stephen King’s “Gramma” and Macbeth from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth lead to the dire consequences such as Macbeth’s demise and George turning into a savage witch. The medieval concept of the Chain of Being is disrupted in both pieces of literature, Macbeth by William Shakespeare and Gramma by Stephen King. The Chain of Being states that women are subordinate to men, especially if the man is the woman’s husband. Macbeth violates this and calls his

The Chain of Being heavily emphasizes age. With older members of society being more important and generally manlier in case of males. This thinking is severely tampered with in Gramma by Stephen King. George is stronger and more courageous when compared to Buddy, his older brother. Their grandmother’s demise occurs when George is home along with her. Buddy is always shown as the bully and gives his brother “Indian rope burns [and] the Spoon Torture of the Heathen Chinee” (King 416-417). Buddy, George’s older brother, abuses his power and size to harm his younger brother instead of protecting him. People who abuse their powers to cause harm to others are cowards who cannot face the real world and Buddy is a prime example. He is a sadistic coward who has malevolent intentions and finds pleasure in harming his own brother, harming one of the most important relationships that one can be blessed with. On the contrary, George is brave. He is resilient and faces challenges head on. Even though he is terrified of his grandmother and her bad spells, George takes care of his grandmother when he is home alone with her. George gets dinner ready for her and tends to her every need. Unfortunately, when his grandmother succumbs to her old age and ill health, George very bravely walks into her room and “[grasps] the coverlet and [pulls] it up over gramma’s face” (King 436). George, a child of about thirteen years of age, has just performed his grandmother’s funeral himself. A Funeral can potentially be mentally disturbing, especially if it is a loved one. George is so valiant that at his tender age, he performs his own grandmother’s funeral after her sudden demise when he is home all alone with her dead carcass. The passing of a family member is a time of extreme turmoil in one’s life, the way George conducts himself to his grandmother’s death reflects his maturity and boldness when compared to his