Themes and message

The themes explored in the short story “Suffer the Little Children” by Stephen Kingare power and control, insanity, versions of reality, and fear. The story makes readers reflect on different versions of reality in which possession or evil might be possible. The writer also sends a subtle message against bullying. Miss Sidley is a bullying teacher and in the universe of the story she is punished for it (she goes insane, she is institutionalized in a psychiatric ward, and kills herself).

Power and control

The theme of power and control is explored through the conflict between Miss Sidley and Robert (and other children like him). In the story, Miss Sidley is a person who “had always been a winner” (p. 2, l. 49). She likes being in control of her pupils to an extreme degree, using fear to make them obey her. Her power comes from the fact that she is able to know what the children are doing behind her back.

The woman’s power and control are challenged by Robert, a pupil who stares at her,...

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Fear

The theme of fear is explored through the genre, structure, and Miss Sidley’s character. As with any horror or suspense story, “Suffer the Little Children” is a story that is implicitly about fear. This is suggested by the structure of the story, which is filled with tension points, suspense moments, and a suspenseful tone.

In the story, the character that fights with fear is Miss Sidley. The woman, an old teacher, discovers that she has some very difficult children in her class, that hide a deep secret. At least in her mind (and possibly in real life), they are evil creatures that have taken over the bodies of the real children.

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Insanity

The theme of insanity is explored through the plot of the story and Miss Sidley’s character. The woman, who comes across as a rational person obsessed with control is faced with an irrational problem. She discovers that some of her students are not real children but have been replaced by evil monsters. Given the intentionally ambiguous language of the story, it is hard to tell if the woman is really seeing these creatures or only imagining them.

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Versions of reality

Finally, the structure and plot of the short story raise the issue of versions of reality. The story suggests that evil spirits or alien possession of human beings are possible, making readers question the nature of reality.

In the story, the teacher discovers that some of her pupils are possessed by some evil creatures who use their bodies. Robert confesses to the teacher: “ ‘Robert - the other Robert - he liked Show and Tell. He's still hiding way, way down in my...

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