The Stand Quotes

1. "He got the Lake Shore Drive address of one Erin D. Macfarlane from the Detroit phone book and walked out there. It was almost dark by the time he made it and his feet hurt. He was no longer trying to tell himself that this was a casual stroll; he wanted to shoot and he wanted to shoot bad." p.346

This passage is taken from a chapter in which King describes the aftermath deaths from the plague, in which he describes certain deaths of people that occur because of the absence of society. In this one particular story he introduces us to Richard Hoggins, a heroine addict who has run empty on his supplies. After remembering of an old heroine house in Detroit, he decides to take a stroll their just to kill the time. However upon his arrival, many things start to hint that he is going to be tempted into using. First, the name of the street on which the house is on, Lake Shore Drive, is a nickname for the drug LSD. Second, the darkness that was developing around him gives an even more foreboading feeling of evil and temptation taking over his mind. And last, his feet hurt, implying that he was tired and weak exposing him even further to the temptation of something relaxing to him. The temptation, darkness, and weakness all represent evil which is a key theme to the story.

2. "There was a button on each breast of his denim jacket. On the right, a yellow smile-face. On the left, a pig wearing a policeman's cap. The legend was written beneath in red letters which dripped to simulate blood: HOW'S YOUR PORK?" p.172

This is part of a description of Randall Flagg, the leader of the evil side. This kind of hints as to why he is so evil. The smiley face on his jacket strongly yrepresents his sarcasm, being that he is a very unhappy man, and temptation in false acceptance. The sarcasm that he carries seems to be how he looks at the world, which portrays that he has never gotten along with society. Yet the warmer part of the smiley face,the temptation part, hides this from people and misguides them into believing that he is something that he is not. This trickery and temptation is the very root of evil. The pig in the police cap only further enhances his sarcasm, and depicts his rebellious attitude towards authority, which most likely fuels his evil acts.

3. "There was a red flaw in the center of it, and to Lloyd it looked like a terrible eye, bloody and half-open, peering at him. Then Flagg turned it slightly between his fingers, and the red flaw in the dark stone looked like...a key. Flagg turned it back and forth between his fingers." p.355

In this passage, Flagg appears at a prison where he finds Lloyd Henreid, the only surviving inmate stuck in his cell. With Lloyd at such a weak and vulnerable point, Flagg procedes to tempt him into joining him. He succeeds by offering his freedom which is represented by bloody half-open eye that is the key to his cell. The key itself clearly represents evil both in its appearance and its purpose of temptation. Before Flagg arrived, Lloyd knew he belonged in prison and was at peace that he shouldn't be with the rest of the world. But with Flagg's proposal, his mind becomes clouded from what is just, and is overcome by temptation and evil as he chooses to join Flagg.

4. " 'Is this a bribe from your God? Because if it is, He can take His cure back. I'd rather have the pain if Stu comes with it.'
'God don't lay no bribes, child,' Mother Abigail whispered. 'He just makes a sign and lets people take it as they will.'" p.904

Fran, a young pregnant woman, is arguing with Mother Abigail, the leader of the good people that there cause is pointless and that they should all just go home and live out the rest of their lives. In that moment, Mother Abigail grabs her wrists and and takes away Fran's back pain that she has been suffering from. This act of kindness and the miraculousness of it deeply symbolizes good, and that it can eventually overcome all obstacles. God, the leader of good against evil, is described here as someone who ever bribes you into something, but as someone who lets you choose your own path. Randall Flagg on the other hand is the leader of evil and does the exact opposite. He bribes you into his own dilemmas and if you don't agree with him he disposes of you.

5. "The mushroom cloud stood out on the horizon like a clenched fist on the end of a long, dusty forearm. It was swirling, fuzzy at the edges, begging to dissipate. It was backlighted in sullen orange-red, as if the sun had decided to go down in the early afternoon." p.1076

Here Stu, injured in the middle of the desert, witnesses the atomic explosion that engulfs Las Vegas and all of the people there including two of the good people Larry and Ralph. The explosion represents the fist of God, and good, coming down upon Randall Flagg and his evil. The significance here is that good will always eventually overcome evil in its divine ways. Explosions are usually destructive ugly actions, but this explosion is described to look like a sunset, one of the most beautiful natural things that marks the end of the day.