57 pages • 1 hour read
Stephen King, Stephen KingA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
In Holly, King examines how surface-level appearances influence peoples’ perceptions of one another, creating impressions that don’t always reflect reality. By making a seemingly sweet elderly couple into brutal murderers, King delivers a warning against judging solely on appearances.
On the outside, Emily and Rodney Harris are put-together, respectable, and intelligent people. They have long careers at Bell College under their belts, and though Rodney is known for his eccentric views on meat and Emily rubs several former colleagues the wrong way, the Harrises are generally considered upstanding citizens. Additionally, their status as elderly, well-off white couple means that people see them as safe by default. The couple plays on these assumptions, presenting themselves as well-meaning and helpless to lure in victims.
The same surface-level judgments that allow Emily and Rodney to hide in plain sight negatively impact Holly’s Black characters. The novel touches on the murder of Maleek Dutton, a Black man killed by a police officer during a traffic stop. Maleek was killed while reaching for his phone because the officer baselessly assumed he was reaching for a gun. The officer jumped to the conclusion that Maleek was dangerous due to his race, a feature of implicit bias.
By these authors
11.22.63
Stephen King
1408
Stephen King
Bag of Bones
Stephen King, Stephen King
Billy Summers
Stephen King, Stephen King
Carrie
Stephen King, Stephen King
Children of the Corn
Stephen King, Stephen King
Cujo
Stephen King
Different Seasons
Stephen King, Stephen King
Doctor Sleep (The Shining, #2)
Stephen King, Stephen King
Dolores Claiborne
Stephen King, Stephen King
Duma Key
Stephen King, Stephen King
Elevation
Stephen King, Stephen King
End of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #3)
Stephen King, Stephen King
Fairy Tale
Stephen King, Stephen King
Finders Keepers
Stephen King
Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #2)
Emily Rodda, Stephen King
Firestarter
Stephen King, Stephen King
From a Buick 8
Stephen King, Stephen King
Full Dark, No Stars
Stephen King, Stephen King
Gerald's Game
Stephen King, Stephen King
Class
View Collection
Class
View Collection
Disability
View Collection
Good & Evil
View Collection
Health & Medicine
View Collection
Horror, Thrillers, & Suspense
View Collection
Mortality & Death
View Collection
Mothers
View Collection
Mystery & Crime
View Collection
Psychological Fiction
View Collection
Safety & Danger
View Collection
Sexual Harassment & Violence
View Collection
Truth & Lies
View Collection