Children in Horror Fiction: A Study of Select Novels by Stephen King

Horror fiction over the decades has been the manifesto of writers to conjure fear, suspense and terror among people using child characters since they easily arouse the feeling of sympathy. Horror stories blend together with children evokes compassion, pity and empathy from readers because children represent innocence, meekness, purity and helplessness that need protection from the dangers lurking around. Stephen King, one of the most celebrated horror writers in the world; he has authored several children-centric horror novels, such as novels like “It” and “The Shining.” Considering two of his novels, this paper aims to explore how children navigate and confront the challenges posed by a terrifying state when left to fend for themselves against both supernatural and natural threats as portrayed in his novels.