Humans have a multitude of desires, including money, power, pleasure, satisfaction, and surprisingly, celebrities. These desires can become obsessions that ultimately lead to madness and the destruction of oneself and others. Stephen King’s novel Misery demonstrates this through the mentally unstable character Annie Wilkes and her imprisonment of Paul Sheldon. Sheldon, known for his books about 18th-century woman Misery Chastain, becomes a victim of Wilkes’ obsession.
In the last book of the Misery novels, Paul finally found freedom from writing about the same character. He celebrated by drinking, which resulted in him crashing his expensive car during a snowstorm. Luckily, Annie Wilkes, a former nurse and devoted fan of the Misery books, rescued him from the freezing snow. Bringing him into her home, she tended to him by inserting an IV into his arm. It’s worth mentioning that Annie had purchased the last book of the series.
Upon discovering the demise of Misery at the conclusion of the book, she transformed into a wicked sorceress, inflicting torment upon Paul and compelling him to pen another Misery installment that resurrects the character. Her fixation on Misery’s persona ultimately extended to an obsession with the author himself. Paul found himself ensnared in the confines of Misery’s world, yearning to liberate himself from the constraint of writing solely about one topic. He recognized that this fixation would eventually grow tiresome, leaving him unable to explore other subjects unless he permanently rid himself of Misery. The allure of fame and wealth stemming from the fervently devoted women who followed Misery’s exploits kept him chained to her narrative.
He wished to begin a new novel in an effort to break free from the hold Misery Chastain had on him. Annie Wilkes was an ardent fan; however, her infatuation was intertwined with her madness, leading to perilous consequences. The townspeople were acquainted with her unpredictable demeanor, but Paul Sheldon remained unaware. When she rescued him from the car accident, upon discovering his true identity as the renowned Paul Sheldon, she resolved to abduct him. With a demand that he author a new book titled Misery’s Return, she emphasized that the novel was exclusively for her. Her preoccupation with Misery deceived her into believing that she needed to adore the man behind the “divine” novels.
Annie’s intense affection for him and his literature became overwhelming. She exploited his severe leg injuries and confined him to her home, hoping that he would develop feelings for her for rescuing him and that they could have a blissful life together. Her disturbed obsession deceived her into believing that Paul desired to stay with her indefinitely. Eventually, Paul completed the novel that Annie eagerly awaited; once she finished reading the book, she planned to murder Paul and then end her own life. The reason why they could no longer coexist is because Annie had to eliminate a police officer who had seen and recognized Paul while visiting Annie.
Despite Annie’s desire to keep Paul with her forever, their time together was limited because she had murdered a police officer. The severe injuries inflicted by Annie’s unpredictable fits of rage – which included amputating his leg and thumb – convinced Paul that he had to escape before she could kill him. To do so, he had to break her emotionally and physically, which involved preventing her from reading the book he had written. Before she could reach the ending, he made sure to burn the entire manuscript, knowing that it would crush her spirit and serve as a diversion during his confrontation with her.
He ultimately murdered her and was found by police who were concerned about Annie’s location. He finally escaped from Annie’s tormenting “love”. Ultimately, obsession led a person to become trapped in something, resulting in death. Annie’s fixation on Paul Sheldon and Misery Chastain caused Paul’s paralysis and Annie’s own demise. King was illustrating how obsessive infatuation destroys those involved because excessive desire may appear harmless initially but can quickly become dangerous.
