When someone dies, the lack of oxygen to their brain causes cell damage or even cell death. This is why when many people are revived or brought back to life, they are essentially brain-dead. This may explain why zombies in the media act the way they do! It also gives credence to the way the cat and son behave after being revived in the novel Pet Sematary.
Every year over one million people worldwide are affected by meningitis 5
A character in the novel that played a bigger role in the film version is Zelda Goldman, Rachel’s sister. She suffered from spinal meningitis and Rachel still feels a combination of guilt and resentment over her condition. What is spinal meningitis? According to Cedars Sinai Hospital, spinal meningitis is “an infection of the fluid and membranes around the brain and spinal cord. Once infection starts, it can spread rapidly through the body.”4 Symptoms may include a blank, staring expression, a dislike of being touched or handled, a high-pitched, moaning cry, an arching back, and a pale, blotchy skin color. All of these symptoms could have been terrifying for Rachel to witness and incredibly painful for Zelda to endure. This trauma, and the trauma of her son’s death, had a tremendous impact on Rachel’s life.
What is the science behind trauma? Through research, we now know that caring, positive relationships have an effect on how our brains develop as children. The opposite of that type of environment can have a negative effect on the brain not only in childhood, but throughout life. The brain learns to adapt to its environment so when someone is in a state of constant fear or panic, their brain will react to situations in that frame of mind. The good news is that the brain can also be taught how to reverse these negative effects. Having close, consistent, positive relationships is the key to overcoming trauma at any age. One key component for adults is to use mindfulness techniques in order to be present in their current situation. By being mindful and logical about their feelings, people who have experienced trauma can retrain their brains.
A theme in Pet Sematary is the idea of sacred burial grounds and the power they might possess. Americans have been fascinated with indigenous burial lands for centuries. Philip Freneau wrote in his 1787 poem “The Indian Burying Ground,”
Thou, stranger, that shalt come this way,
No fraud upon the dead commit—
Observe the swelling turf, and say
They do not lie, but here they sit.6
Around the time of the writing of Pet Sematary, there were real land disputes at play in the state of Maine that Stephen King was hearing about. These disputes put into the minds of all landowners whether they truly own the land they have paid for. This guilt or observance that comes from being aware of indigenous peoples’ rights to land plays a part in the horror genre. Those who disrespect the land or steal from rightful owners will be haunted or punished.
Pet crematoriums and pet cemeteries are a booming business worldwide with an estimated one hundred million dollars in profits per year.7
Another Native American theme that is prevalent in the novel is the legend of the Wendigo. We had the opportunity to interview artist Winona Nelson, a member of the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa, about the legend.
Kelly: “In the latest iteration of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, the burial ground’s powers are rooted in a long mythology, stemming back to the people who inhabited the northeastern seaboard and continental interior, especially the Great Lakes region. Do you know any legends specifically about this region and indigenous people?”
Winona Nelson: “Yes, I know a bit. My tribe, the Ojibwe, is spread throughout that region. Because it is so far north and the climate so inhospitable, we survived the coming of the Europeans in large numbers and were able to keep a lot of our traditions and stories and our language strong, compared to what happened to tribes to the south and east of our range.”
Meg: “The word wendigo translates to ‘the evil spirit that devours mankind,’ though one German explorer translated it to mean ‘cannibal.’ How does this definition fit the legend through the Ojibwe story?”
Winona Nelson: “The Ojibwe language has concepts that can’t translate very well to English, because a word can refer to both a literal creature or thing as well as a metaphor or idea. Wendigo stories are sometimes simply monster stories meant to scare or thrill. As a monster, a wendigo is often described as hugely tall, a former human cursed with a desperate hunger that cannot be satiated no matter how much they consume, because when they eat they only grow larger, needing more food. They are so thin they are like skin stretched over a skeleton, and are inhumanly strong and cannot be killed without first being turned back into a human by forcing them to drink hot tallow.”
Kelly: “That sounds terrifying!”
Winona Nelson: “Wendigo stories come from the very real risk of starvation faced by Ojibwe people. Winters in the north are brutal. Communities would break apart into independent family groups because it is easier to keep a small group alive. In extreme times it wasn’t unheard of for someone to turn to cannibalism to survive. This is a major taboo, and was a crime for which the Ojibwe had a death penalty, because once a starving person has turned to cannibalism there is no longer a barrier keeping them from doing it again. In those cases, a wendigo is a real-life monster, a human who has broken the worst taboo and must be executed. Wendigo also refers to all-consuming greed, such as that of the oil industry and capitalism and the profit-over-everything mentality that is killing our planet. So, both of the translations are accurate, yet don’t quite cover all the meanings the word has to us.”
Kelly: “According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, ‘wendigo legends are essentially cautionary tales about isolation and selfishness, and the importance of community.’ Do you think this theme is prevalent in fairy tales and legends we pass down through generations?”
Winona Nelson: “Yes, although different cultures have different balances of themes in their stories. In general, European fairy tales place more importance on piousness, obedience, treasure, and royalty than the stories of North American tribes, which focus more on individual freedom, respect for all beings, and self-knowledge. If the Europeans had more wendigo stories instead of so many fairy tales ending with rewards of wealth, maybe we wouldn’t now be living in such an unsustainable way.”
Thank you to Winona Nelson for this eye-opening interview!
“Sometimes dead is better,”8 Jud Crandell says in Pet Sematary. We agree. Although it can be sad to lose a loved one or close pet, don’t try to reanimate them. It never seems to turn out the way you’d like.
CHAPTER NINE
Thinner
Many of us have wished that we could eat as much as we want and not gain weight. My husband’s family is notorious for having exceptional metabolism and has been encouraged to eat more. I (Kelly) have the opposite problem and could gain five pounds by just looking at a piece of cake! Billy Halleck, the main character in Stephen King’s Thinner, has a similar problem in the beginning of the book, but through a curse is unable to keep any weight on. Stephen King recalled being heavier himself at one point: