Setting

Physical setting

The story “The Boogeyman” by Stephen King takes place in the United States. We know that at some point the family moved to Waterbury, Connecticut, which is where Andy died. Later, it seems Lester moved to New York, where the psychiatrist’s office is.

The time setting for the story is between the year 1965, when Lester marries Rita, and the year 1972, when Lester goes to see the psychiatrist. However, the timeline of Lester's story is inconsistent. Lester first tells Dr Harper that Shirl died in 1971, but when he begins his detailed account, it becomes clear that her death happened in 1968. This could be a clue indicating that Lester is unreliable and confused.

The story takes place in the psychiatrist’s office, but in flashbacks we also hear about the two hou...