29 pages • 58 minutes read
Stephen KingWord Processor of the Gods
Stephen KingFiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1983A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Word Processor
Richard discovers that this “space-age equivalent of a magic lamp” (296) has the power to turn whatever is typed on its screen into reality. He possesses an object that humans cannot and should not have, and it is therefore symbolic of his and humanity’s hubris. In stating that it is “of the gods,” Richard represents the way mortals, given this kind of power, play god and try to fulfill their own desires without thinking about the effects on others. It is also a physical manifestation of humanity’s greed, as Richard covets Roger’s family and tries to make them his own using the word processor. In his selfishness, he deletes his wife and son from existence, all so he can have the ideal and perfect life he daydreamed about with Belinda and Jon as his wife and son. The things Richard wishes for on the word processor highlight the limitations of his imagination, underscoring his hubris as a man and the deep divide between humanity and divinity: Technology cannot literally make men into gods.
The word processor also symbolizes the complex relationship between families. Jon builds it for Richard out of outdated parts, mismatched electronics, and pieces of children’s toys. This cobbled-together device nonetheless has divine power, representing the value of non-nuclear family relationships like Jon and Richard’s, especially when compared with both characters’ unfulfilling home lives.
The Magic 8 Ball
The Magic 8 Ball symbolizes Richard’s fear and loss of hope and innocence. A Magic 8 Ball is ostensibly a fortune-telling device, providing different answers to the questions the user asks. Richard’s love for his Magic 8 Ball as a child represents his sense of wonder and the idea of a limitless future. When Roger steals and breaks the toy and threatens to break Richard’s arm if he tells, Richard is bullied into permanent submission; he does not seek justice, symbolizing the fear and helplessness that all humans experience. When he sees the broken toy on the ground, Richard sees that it’s actually just “a bunch of little signs and a lot of water” (290), symbolizing a loss of innocence as he no longer believes that the toy is magic. The fear and hopelessness instilled in Richard here carry through for the rest of his life; he lets Roger steal the love of his life, he gives up on his dream of becoming a famous writer, and he resigns himself to an unfulfilling family life.
The letters on the word processor’s screen are juxtaposed with Richard’s memories of the Magic 8 Ball’s words. With this, Stephen King complicates the word processor symbol, having it represent the opposite of the Magic 8 Ball and the reintroduction of magic and wonder into Richard’s life. While the Magic 8 Ball could not give Richard lasting hope, the word processor represents the chance to craft the future he wants, even if it comes at a horrible price.
Lina’s Portrait
Lina’s portrait symbolizes Richard’s cowardice and resentment of everything he detests in his life and wishes to change. He views the portrait as a gaudy and tasteless portrayal of a wife he “barely knew,” and he wishes it did not exist in his study, his place of sanctuary and escape. The portrait is “the only thing he didn’t pick and didn’t like” (291), but it’s there because Lina wants it to be there. Its presence represents his inability to stand up to his wife as he does not dare to confront her. Ironically, Lina does not enter Richard’s study because she does not respect Richard’s work; Richard could presumably not hang the portrait and she would not know, but he feels compelled to anyway. This acquiescence represents how Richard has internalized Lina’s influence over and permanent presence in his life. The portrait, therefore, symbolizes how character flaws like cowardice can feel insurmountable, which can lead to resentment and hatred. Much like the portrait, there are parts of the human mind and psyche that are hard to overcome and can lurk unwanted in people’s lives. Richard’s lack of courage is a major theme in this story and Lina’s portrait symbolically depicts it.
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