Elevation: A Novel

“You could feel weight, yes—when you were carrying too much, it made you ploddy—but wasn’t it, like time, basically just a human construct? Hands on a clock, numbers on a bathroom scale, weren’t they only ways of trying to measure invisible forces that had visible effects? A feeble effort to corral some greater reality beyond what mere humans thought of as reality?”

Scott’s weight loss carries a deeper, more symbolic meaning than merely being a symptom of an illness. The paradoxical nature of weight loss that has no visible effects, as in Scott’s case, adds depth and complexity to this symbolism. Elevation deals with topics of suffering and the long-term effects of daily burdens, as well as the question of what gives life meaning. Depicting these abstract concepts as a measurable quality—literal weight—is a way to “corral some greater reality”; to contextualize complex ideas through a thought experiment.

“‘Mr. Carey, dogs may be, as you say, doing their business on your lawn, but they’re not our dogs. Perhaps it’s something else that’s concerning you? It wouldn’t be a prejudice against same-sex marriage, would it?’ Scott had almost laughed, which would have been bad—even Trumpian—diplomacy.”

When Deirdre accuses Scott of prejudice against marriage between people of the same sex, she does so without any real cause. This characterizes her unsympathetically, giving her room to grow and transform. It also reveals one of the long-term, traumatic effects of discrimination, in which victims become extremely suspicious and perceive others’ motivations negatively. The result is often a loss of credibility, as unsupported accusations of prejudice detract from legitimate claims. References to politics, like the reference to Trump in this quote, contribute to a sense that ideology precludes strengthening communities through understanding and connection.

“‘Well,’ Scott told him, ‘it is what it is, right? As Nora used to say when she came home from those meetings of hers, life is what we make it and acceptance is the key to all our affairs.’ Bill yawned. ‘But we also change the things we can, don’t we? You hold the fort. I’m going to pay a visit.’”

Elevation examines different approaches to conflict without calling any particular one best in all circumstances. The choices Scott must make often revolve around accepting things as they are or trying to change them; what’s best depends on the circumstances. When it comes to the town’s prejudice against Deirdre and Missy because of their marriage, accepting the status quo is the wrong choice. As for contemplating his death, on the other hand, acceptance allows Scott to make the most of the time he has left.

“Yeah, and solid Republican. Conservative Republican. The county went for Trump three-to-one in ’16 and they think our stonebrain governor walks on water. If those women had kept it on the down-low they would have been fine, but they didn’t. Now there are people who think they’re trying to make some kind of statement. Myself, I think they were either ignorant about the political climate here or plain stupid.”

In part, Mike’s description of Castle Rock’s political climate serves as a straightforward assessment of how the town’s residents view marriage equality and how those views correlate with voting records and party preferences. Mike distances himself from these views and expresses respect for Deirdre, positioning himself as an ally. Yet part of his statement can be interpreted as victim-blaming. Calling Deirdre and Missy either ignorant or stupid for moving to a place where they’ll face discrimination places the burden of an unacceptable situation on them. The tone in this scene suggests this is not Mike’s intent, which helps demonstrate how prejudice can be inadvertently reinforced even by those who oppose it.

“Myra’s open-minded on most subjects, but when it comes to sexual politics…let’s just say she was raised a certain way.”

Doctor Bob’s explanation of Myra’s prejudicial views toward marriage equality gives an authentic portrayal of how many people react to prejudice. Its prevalence in society forces people to accept it as a reality, whether or not they deem it acceptable. Bob’s marriage raises the question of whether people should reject outright those who harbor any prejudice. He accepts that Myra is imperfect and that her biases were shaped by factors not wholly in her control—like the kids we see later trick-or-treating at Scott’s house. Because she isn’t shunned but is welcomed and included, Myra changes her mind. This outcome contributes to King’s message about Overcoming Rifts Caused by Prejudice.

“‘I think mass stays the same, even though the weight that should go with mass is somehow disappearing.’ ‘The idea is insane, Scott.’ ‘Couldn’t agree more, but there it is. The power gravity has over me has definitely been lessened. And who couldn’t be cheerful about that?’”

As Scott contemplates the odd relationship between his weight loss and unchanging body mass, he sees that what’s happening to him can’t be explained by the known laws of medicine or physics. By describing it to Bob as a power over him that’s been lessened, he clarifies the symbolic meaning at the heart of the novel’s allegory: Weightlessness as Liberation From Human Suffering. His conclusion that this effect is something anyone would be cheerful about reinforces this interpretation.

“‘I—we—don’t need you to play Sir Galahad. For one thing, you’re a little too old for the part.’ Her eyes flicked down his shirt front. ‘For another, you’re a little too overweight.’ Given Scott’s current condition, this jab entirely missed the mark, but he felt a certain sour amusement at her employment of it; she would have been infuriated to hear a man say some woman was a little too old and a little too overweight to play the part of Guinevere.”

Deirdre says this after Scott confronts the men in the diner for insulting her and her wife. Her allusion to Sir Galahad means she doesn’t need Scott to act as a rescuing knight in shining armor. Deirdre’s allusion to the code of chivalry represented by a mythic hero like Sir Galahad is a way of dismissing antiquated and sexist ideas of men needing to protect helpless women. However, Deirdre’s delivery of this message also includes offensive stereotypes about age and body size. Scott notes Deirdre’s hypocrisy, but comes to understand its causes and helps Deirdre recognize it for herself.

“In the meantime, however, he intended to enjoy life. Scott felt he owed it to himself. After all, how many people with a terminal condition could say they felt absolutely fine?”

When Scott realizes his weight loss is not stopping and seems likely to continue beyond a point his body can survive, he comes face to face with The Inevitability and Transcendence of Death. Yet he recognizes how lucky he is to be stronger, happier, and more mentally resilient than ever when most people with a terminal illness are impacted by weakness and pain. This recognition characterizes Scott’s optimistic outlook. It also motivates his future choices and actions, aimed at achieving fulfillment and making positive changes in his community.

“And the lesbeans, Scott thought. The town voted down the lesbeans, too. Just not at the ballot box. The town motto seems to be if you can’t keep it on the down-low, then out you must go.”

Scott learns from two children who come to his door as trick-or-treaters that their parents told them to stay away from Deirdre and Missy because they’re lesbians. One of the children pronounced the word he’d overheard his dad use as “lesbeans,” indicating he doesn’t know the term and therefore has been taught to dislike Deirdre and Missy for reasons he doesn’t understand. This fact resonates with Scott and prompts him to see the town’s prejudice as a whole in terms of childlike ignorance, which means it can be changed.

“He was afraid—it would have been foolish not to be—but he was also curious. And something else. Happy? Was that it? Yes. Probably crazy, but definitely yes. Certainly he felt singled out somehow. Doctor Bob might think that was crazy, but Scott thought it was sane. Why feel bad about what you couldn’t change? Why not embrace it?”

These lines follow Scott’s realization that his rate of weight loss is increasing and that “Zero Day” will come sooner than he originally anticipated. In other words, he’s reacting to his death sentence. Unlike the community’s prejudice, Scott sees his death as something he can’t change, so it makes more sense to accept it. He finds this acceptance is freeing. It banishes fear and allows him to enjoy his remaining time alive.

“Your body tells me that you’re a typical overindulgent, under-exercised white American male.”

Deirdre says this to Scott after he suggests a wager on which of them will win the Turkey Trot. She can’t believe he thinks he has a chance of winning because of his out-of-shape appearance. Beyond demonstrating Deirdre’s hostility toward Scott, which establishes the initial state of her character arc and the conflict between them, this observation demonstrates the hypocrisy and fallacy of judging others based on appearances and stereotypes.

“‘Why is this so important to you? Is it because I—because we—are a threat to your masculinity somehow?’ No, it’s because I’m going to die next year, he thought, and I’d like to put at least one thing right before I do.”

Though there’s some ambiguity, the most salient meaning of Deirdre’s question refers to Scott’s overtures of friendship. By asking why it’s so important to him that they resolve their conflict and develop a neighborly relationship, she acknowledges the approach Scott could continue to take, and that many others choose to take toward problems—avoidance. The prejudice and discrimination that have made Deirdre so defensive persist when people accept the status quo and ignore the problem. Facing his inevitable death pushes Scott to take action instead.

“He passed the sign reading CASTLE ROCK MUNICIPAL TOWN LIMITS, where Route 119 became Bannerman Road, named after the town’s longest serving sheriff, an unlucky fellow who had come to a bad end on one of the town’s back roads.”

Stephen King is known for textual allusions to other works he’s authored. Fans might recognize this reference to Sheriff Bannerman being killed by the rabid dog Cujo from the eponymous 1981 novel. King’s style-defining intertextuality treats each narrative as a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, all of which fit together in what fans refer to as the Stephen King multiverse. Since many of his stories are set in the small town of Castle Rock, residents like Scott are bound to come across echoes of those other stories from time to time.

“Not a wind, not even a high, exactly, but an elevation. A sense that you had gone beyond yourself and could go farther still.”

Nearing the final kilometer of the Turkey Trot, Scott’s strength and energy return. This euphoria is similar to what endurance athletes call the runner’s high because its effects are not just physical. As Missy later reveals, this effect is the reason Deirdre runs. Scott realizes, however, that he’s experiencing something slightly different, related to his mysterious weight loss condition and to the choices he’s made because of it. He chose to push himself, to put it all on the line, during the 10th kilometer when he could barely breathe and everything ached. That choice opened him up to his true potential.

“Scott had never been happier in his life. Only happiness was too mild. Here, as he explored the farthest limits of his stamina, was a new world. Everything leads to this, he thought. To this elevation. If it’s how dying feels, everyone should be glad to go.”

This quote builds on the previous one, in which Scott compared his euphoria to an elevation. Here, he expresses that elevation as a culmination and connects it to the idea of dying. Making this connection might be unlikely if Scott wasn’t counting down to “Zero Day.” His odd situation enables him to understand his experiences in new ways. Forming an expectation of death that includes euphoria and a sense of a new world enables him to accept death, which in turn allows him to make the most of life.

“What happened? My God, you put your arm around me and it was like I weighed nothing!”

Deirdre is stunned by what she experiences when Scott helps her up during the race. His enigmatic weightlessness transfers to whatever he touches, so she too has a moment of escape from gravity. Since his weightlessness symbolizes liberation from the causes of suffering, this transference implies that this kind of psychic freedom, too, can be transmitted. The message is that resilience can be shared through meaningful relationships.

“If not for that, I need to apologize for how I’ve treated you. I could plead extenuating circumstances, but Missy tells me there are none, and she might be right about that. I have certain…attitudes…and changing them hasn’t been easy.”

When Scott helps Deirdre up and lets her win the race, she experiences an epiphany about him, and about the harmful effects of her own assumptions. Her apology to Scott marks an important turning point in her character arc. It demonstrates how a closed mind can be opened, not through judgment, but through kindness.

“Myra Ellis leaned forward, her hands so tightly clasped the knuckles were white. ‘Are you very frightened? I suppose you must be.’ ‘That’s the thing,’ Scott said. ‘I’m not. I was at the very beginning, but now…I don’t know…it seems sort of okay.’ There were tears in Deirdre’s eyes, but she smiled. ‘I think I get that, too,’ she said. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I believe you do.’”

Scott’s lack of fear regarding his mortality stems from his acceptance of death. It also stems from his weight loss—his liberation from the trauma of daily burdens and suffering, which produce patterns of fear and anxiety. Deirdre’s ability to relate to this suggests she, too, has recently overcome fear. Realizing she was wrong about Scott and can trust him enables her to let go of her fear of trusting people.

“‘It’s not fair!’ Missy burst out. ‘It’s not goddam fair!’ ‘Well, no,’ Scott agreed, ‘it isn’t. But I’m not leaving any kids behind, my ex is happy where she is, there’s that, and it’s fairer than cancer, or Alzheimer’s, or being a burn victim in a hospital ward. I guess I’d go down in history, if anyone talked about it.’”

Scott’s optimism and gratitude are an important part of his elevation over the pettiness of human conflict and the fear and trauma that keeps people from reaching their potential in life. His liberation from these anchors leads him to make the most of his final months. Death’s power is in its effect on the living. When people live in fear of death and put off doing what’s important until it’s too late, death’s inevitability feels unfair. However, Scott’s acceptance of death as fair, the good he does for others, and the fulfillment he achieves for himself represent his transcendence over death.

“Scott hung up, thought about what giving things away meant—especially things that were also valued friends—and closed his eyes.”

After Scott calls Mike Badalamente to arrange for Mike to take care of his cat, Bill, Scott mourns his ending relationship with his pet. The odd sensation of weightlessness that living things feel when touched by Scott terrifies Bill, so he no longer allows Scott to pet him. Losing the companionship of this beloved animal is one example of the negative effects of Scott’s condition, which include becoming too light to move or function and preparing for his own death. Giving things away in preparation for departing this world means saying goodbye to those he loves. The poignancy of the moment conveys the importance of those friendships.

“Scott thought of how he’d felt running down Hunter’s Hill, when he’d gotten his second wind and the whole world had stood revealed in the usually hidden glory of ordinary things.”

The moment when Scott’s strength, energy, and lightness return to him at the top of the hill during the Turkey Trot, as described in this line, creates a stunning visual for his symbolic elevation. In essence, it’s a moment in time that encapsulates everything he’s experienced in the final months of his life. King’s subtle yet evocative imagery creates a mood that’s both solemn and hopeful.

“He thought he had discovered one of life’s great truths (and one he could have done without): the only thing harder than saying goodbye to yourself, a pound at a time, was saying goodbye to your friends.”

The importance of friendship is a central concept in Elevation. Like Milan Kundera in The Unbearable Lightness of Being, King explores what gives life meaning and asks whether the burdens that come with life outweigh its joys. Though saying goodbye to his friends is one of the most painful things Scott will ever do, his friends have made his life better, and he’s made their lives better.

“Everyone should have this, he thought, and perhaps, at the end, everyone does. Perhaps in their time of dying, everyone rises.”

In the final scene, Scott floats above the town of Castle Rock, having no weight left to hold him to the earth. It’s an experience no one else has ever gotten to have, at least not literally. Yet what people experience as they die is unknowable, which prompts him to think it might be something like this—a rising, not of their physical bodies, but of their minds, hearts, and souls. This quote imbues the story’s resolution with a tone of optimism.