Research Paper on:
Analyzing The Stand by Stephen King

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
14). It is an updated version of the biblical apocalypse and recreates the classic conflict between good and evil, with good representing the moral constitution of the individual and  evil being the science and technology which have threatened to enslave humankind (Oates 111). Kings Prologue is dire as it ponders the frightening concept of a modern-day Frankenstein scenario,  a world in overdrive powered by indiscriminate technology (Oates 110). The American military accidentally unleashes a deadly plague consisting of stockpiled germs, and as a result, nearly destroys the  people it is supposed to protect (Bloom 53). The book is philosophically subdivided into three sections, "The Plague," "The Republic" and "The War" (Fagan). Its structure is purposely  circular, to symbolize how the existence of humanity encompasses a circle, which not only emphasizes the irony of progress (which is responsible for escalating mass destruction), but also serves as  a reminder that all civilizations, no matter how great, "must inevitably fall" (Oakes 110). The contagious and deadly virus known as "superflu" wasted little time in spreading across the United  States shortly after being released in the atmosphere at an air force base in California in the summer of 1985 (Whissen 226). Despite the obvious panic, a visibly ailing  President of the United States attempts to reassure a shaken nation by vehemently denying the severity of the flu, charging (between coughs and sneezes) that, "There is no truth -  no truth - to the rumor that this strain of flu is fatal" (King 229). His obvious illness reveals that the President is clearly lying, and this betrayal underscores  the fine line between good and evil (Oakes 111). The President hopes to allay the fears of the American public, but in the process undermines their trust and puts