Can't make this stuff up!
Everything you could want to know about Salem's Lot.
Salem's Lot by: Stephen King
Who's who in Salem's Lot
Ben Mears, a local writer and protagonist, has returned to Salem's Lot in hopes of writing his new novel on the Marsten house. The Marsten House, the former house of Hubert "Hubie" Marsten a depressed hit man who's last hit was himself, was recently purchased by two men from England, who's latest venture was to are open up a new antique furniture store in the town.
Ben Mears is a tall dark haired man who the town appears to be very strange when he arrives. In a small town like Salem's Lot everyone talks. Not long after his arrival he begins to hangout with Sue Norton. This lead to a lot more talk in the town. He wasn't safe from any chatter among the folk. He didn't mind though. He liked Sue and he enjoyed staying at Eva's inn. Sue helped ben over come the troubles of his past, (the motorcycle incident, that killed his wife) and he was falling for her completely- until the town took a turn for the worst.
But wait there's more
Not long after the house was sold to the duo, Ralphie Glick went missing in the woods while walking to a friends house with his brother Danny. A couple of days later Danny is pronounced dead with a very peculiar cause of death. Not long after, people began dying one after another after another. For example, Mike Reyerson, Randy McDougall, Jack Griffen and Danny's mother! It becomes known that Danny is the town's first ......vampire, with his only failed attack being Mark Petrie.
1979 Salem's Lot Window Scene
Marsten House sitting on a Hill
The Marsten House is an example of symbolism in Salem's Lot, that helps deepen his plot. The House symbolizes all of the fear and death that can't be explained in the town. If it something no one can explain they blame it on the "ghosts" of the house. Whether the house is really haunted is another story, but to the towns folk of Salem's Lot it is an outlet for the unknown. Soon as Ralphie Glick disappeared the town was more then happy to say it had something to do with the house. It gave them a sense of safety when things went awry.
Life or Death.... who gets to decide
Stephen King uses the literary element of theme to help portray his plot in the book. The theme of Salem's Lot is that the idea of belief can can lead to life or death for a character. Marc Petrie had faith and he survived his attack. The more people feared the more the vampires had to feed on. Thus leaving the theme that if you have faith you will survive even the strangest of occurrences.