Books Stephen King Recommends discussion
August-September 2012 Group Read
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The Store Chapters 7-13
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Debra
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Aug 02, 2012 10:44AM
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Sad to see Juniper's local business dying out, being forced to sell, or worse. Strikes the nerves a bit as it is relevant in these times: big businesses pushing out the local businesses.
And then there are the changes in all the people who are working for The Store. Creepy stuff!
Yes, this is really getting weird. Why didn't Samantha leave the job interview when the guy told her about the lie detector test? The questions really should have been the indicator that this was not the place for her to work, but the lie detector/ urine test pushed it over the edge. It is as if she is paralyzed and cannot think for herself even though she knows this is sexual violation.And the shoe salesman who sucks on the woman's toes! What is that all about?
Also, why is The Store mostly hiring drunks, low life people and mostly refusing to hire educated, experienced people in town?
Why are the people working at The Store undergoing personality changes? Jake tells Shannon he cannot date her anymore because it is store policy that he can only date someone working at The Store. He has no emotion about the break up.
Samamtha is rude to a customer, which is not her normal personality. Many of the sales staff are rude to customers.
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The shoe salesman, a foot fetishist. Guess he got the job of his dreams. The woman didn't seem to mind at all. lol
The Store is hiring folks they can control better. They want people to follow their sadistic rules. For some reason uneducated, diminished folks are supposedly better at this? That's what Little is implying. Not so sure about that. And did educated Samantha get hired, then? Was she immediately targeted because she is so attractive, and apparently submissive?
My thoughts exactly! I am wondering about the symbolism of Mr. Lamb's name. He is certainly not a little lamb, but maybe his name signifies his bringing the lamb to sacrifice? Just a thought.
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The gauntlet was plain horrible. Little has a twisted mind. Remind you of someone?
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The gauntlet was plain horrible. Little has a twisted mind. Remind you of someone?"
Actually it reminds me of Werner Erhard!!! I don't remember the name of the seminar, but the gist of it was that you learned not care what others said of you...(no physical stuff though)... you survived it. :@{
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I'm getting the distinct feel of The Stepford Wives in a sick twisted way.
I think we all reacted in the same way to Samantha's interview with the lie detector test and urine sample. We would have all walked out, and reported it.It seems that there is some kind of hypnotic atmosphere about The Store.
I have to get some work done today... but maybe if I read one or two chapters... I can't help myself! I know better (just like Samantha). I shouldn't. But, I must!
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Things are heating up! I finished to the end of chapter 13 and this is a good time to break.
I know that this is a horror story so there is going to besome fantastical elements, but I don't see how I can stretch my common sense to believe that someone who is supposedly as smart as Sam to stay at that interview the second it got weird. Anyone with the slightest bit of common sense would know to get out of there.
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Maybe you could suspend disbelief if you think that the Store has a hypnotic effect?
Janice wrote: "Maybe you could suspend disbelief if you think that the Store has a hypnotic effect?"Fact = stranger than fiction? I think not.
Here are more ways to think about it: Citizenry had grown up thinking it okay to quietly submit to such practices, eg.
* Working for substandard wages is okay.
* Prohibiting/firing employees who attempt to organize is okay.
* Driving mom n pop stores out of business is okay.
* Forcing suppliers to accept untenable prices is okay, even when it forces some U.S. companies to move overseas to take advantage of their citizens who are forced to work for so little, with no benefits.
* Advertising primarily 'made in America' goods, when in fact very few of "the Store's" goods are made in America. When exposed, no apology - simply go on as business as usual.
Anyone aware of any of the above who willingly submits is part of the problem. Those who do NOT think it a problem have been brainwashed to the extent of some of Little's characters.
I considered all that. I think the author's intention was to expose those attitudes.Because it is fiction, one can suspend logic and consider that The Store may have had a hypnotic effect on people as they walked into the door, bringing out latent tendencies. Maybe Sam had a masochistic/submissive tendency that the Store fed on.
Creating a hypnotic state isn't so much fiction. Vegas casinos pump oxygen into their establishments to keep people awake and gambling. Stores use colours to create an appealing atmosphere and encourage shopping.
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