

He considers performing an experiment to disprove Mrs.

He fears being judged by God and deemed “not worthy.” This fear is likely metaphorical of his repressed homosexual feelings and his fear of judgment from God.


He is quick to dismiss religious rules as stupid but stops himself as he remembers he takes religion seriously enough to be afraid of it.Įddie is affected by the story because he fears how easily he can commit BLASPHEMY and be damned for it. We get some interesting religious imagery as Eddie thinks back to the root of his religious fear. I will delve more into Eddie’s stunted emotional growth as an adult later, but for now, keep this comparison in mind. When Eddie returns to Derry as an adult, he experiences It in the same way he did as a child, which shows his fears have not changed. Because he is groomed to fear disease and sickness, he fears his own homosexuality and views it as something that could kill him. Its use of the leper as a complex manifestation of Eddie’s fears is our first clue that Eddie is gay coded. This metaphor is significant because the leper is a sickly, diseased man offering oral sex to Eddie and Its combination of these things shows us a deep fear Eddie has, unknown even to himself.Įddie is afraid of doing sexual things with men because he believes he will get a disease and die. There are no other instances of It threatening children with sexual assault, so Its decision to do so here is an important distinction. The leper continually offers to give Eddie a blowjob and uses this pressure of sexual favors to scare him. Eddie is horrified of the leper’s appearance, but the real terror doesn’t set in until he realizes that he could catch its illness. Eddie sees It as a leper because his mother’s insistence that he is sickly and delicate has made him afraid of disease. Like Beverly, Eddie’s physical manifestation of fear has symbolic meaning that is linked to his abusive upbringing.
#Eddie kaspbrak first encounter with it movie
It uses a leper to frighten Eddie, which is different than the classic movie monster forms It takes for most children. It takes the form of one of those hobos that is stricken with disease. Eddie is so obviously gay coded that I’m a little surprised I have to write an essay to convince peopleĮddie’s first encounter with It happens at 29 Neibolt Street, a place known to attract hobos and drifters. There have been protests that the characters’ change in sexuality comes out of nowhere, but that’s not so–Richie and Eddie are in love in the book, but their romance exists primarily in subtext. The most recent adaptation, “It: Chapter 2,” directed by Andy Muschietti, dedicates an entire subplot to the romance between Richie and Eddie. A common discussion on the Internet is the interpretation that Richie Tozier and Eddie Kaspbrak had strong, repressed homosexual feelings for one another. Since It’s release, Stephen King’s cult classic has inspired fans to discuss it themes, allegories, and underlying subtext. Pennywise transforms into things that will scare children and Stephen King used the 1950s setting to pay tribute to classic movie monsters. The novel inspired a miniseries, two movies, and an entire generation of children to fear clowns. This guest article is written by Rachel Brands (on Twitter by Stephen King was published in 1986 and has made a lasting cultural impact ever since.
