Needful Things

Leland Gaunt is a sinister and enigmatic figure who embodies supernatural malevolence. In his current incarnation, he appears as a sharply dressed older man whose sophistication sets him apart from the regular residents of Castle Rock. His female customers are particularly fascinated by his hypnotic eyes, which seem to change color and scrutinize everyone. In front of potential customers, he maintains a veneer of neatness and calm, demonstrating polished manners and using his velvety voice to draw people in. However, once he makes physical contact with customers, they tend to feel an immediate sense of revulsion. 

He arrives in Castle Rock to open a new “antiques” store called Needful Things. The store seems to be stocked with ordinary items, but every person who enters the store becomes deeply enamored of a different item and falls under the spell of Mr. Gaunt, perceiving the chosen object as uniquely important. Mr. Gaunt has an uncanny ability to identify what his customers desire most, and he manipulates their personal histories and sources of vulnerability and greed to sow discord, violence, and chaos throughout the town. His chief method is to require his customers to “pay” him in the form of increasingly harmful pranks on others. These pranks are designed to play upon long-established grudges and ignite simmering tensions, allowing Gaunt to tighten his hold over his customers’ souls. He thrives on violence, feeding off the anger, fear, and despair that his manipulations create.

Brian is the first resident to recognize that Mr. Gaunt is not human, and this impression is graphically confirmed when Ace witnesses Mr. Gaunt start to eat a dead rat. Toward the end of the novel, Stephen King finally offers a brief, enigmatic paragraph that provides insight into Mr. Gaunt’s origins. The proprietor is really a demonic entity that has existed for centuries and first began his disastrous activities in Europe. He moved from town to town, sowing destruction, stealing souls, and reaping spiritual corruption. His purpose is to exploit the greed and weakness inherent in all of humanity, using deeply desired objects as a means of cursing and harming innocent and guilty people alike. Every item that he sells possesses a malevolent energy that binds the buyer to him in inexplicable ways. Mr. Gaunt is ultimately a supernatural predator who relies on the psychological frailty of his victims, exploiting their material desires and preying upon their innate capacity for corruption.

At the end of the novel, Alan “defeats” Mr. Gaunt through the purity of a magic trick, after which Mr. Gaunt drops his bag of souls and is forced to leave Castle Rock. He sets off in his magical car, which transforms into a horse and then into a cart that is driven by an evil-looking dwarf. The narrative suggests that this is Mr. Gaunt’s true form. At the end of the novel, a new narrator notes the sudden appearance of a shop called Answered Prayers in a small town in Iowa.

Patricia (“Polly”) Chalmers is a complex middle-aged woman whose demeanor conveys both strength and vulnerability. As the owner of a sewing shop, Polly depends on her hands to make a living, but her vocation has grown complicated due to her debilitating arthritis. She nonetheless carries herself with quiet dignity, her movements often slow and deliberate. Despite struggling to perform basic tasks, she strives to maintain her independence and composure. Polly does not like asking for help or letting others know how much pain she is in. Her constant discomfort weighs heavily on her emotional well-being, and she finds relief in her romantic relationship with Alan and her friendship with Nettie. Though Nettie has been largely ostracized for murdering her husband, Polly finds Nettie to be very thoughtful and compassionate. Polly’s battle with arthritis has left her feeling isolated, contributing to a sense of insecurity over her ability to connect with others. Polly’s hands, once nimble and capable, now struggle to create the delicate lacework that she once loved, and this loss symbolizes her broader struggle to hold onto the life she wants.

Polly became pregnant at age 17. Her parents were deeply disappointed, and she left Castle Rock to have her baby, eventually ending up in San Francisco. Though she had long romanticized California, she experienced devastating poverty as she struggled to feed herself and her child. While at work, she would leave her son in the care of a babysitter. One day, her apartment burned down, killing her son. This event devastated her, and she eventually returned to Castle Rock. She and her parents had both hoped to mend their relationship, but the quick deaths of her parents and her beloved aunt sent Polly down a new spiral of devastation.

Now, Polly’s relationship with Alan is one of the few bright spots in her life. Their tender and genuine bond is built on mutual respect and a shared desire for companionship. Alan’s steadfastness provides Polly with a sense of security, while she offers him warmth and understanding. However, their relationship is not without its struggles, as both are haunted by past wounds and the challenges of their present lives. Polly does not disclose the truth to Alan about how her son died, and although Alan realizes that she is lying, he is content to wait for her to tell him the truth. Polly realizes that Alan is a grieving widower and father, and she is content to take their relationship slowly, not wanting him to suffer under the limelight of scrutiny.

Like many others in Castle Rock, she falls under the spell of Gaunt’s manipulations when he offers her a miraculous cure for her arthritis. The relief from pain is intoxicating, making her vulnerable to his influence. However, Polly’s journey differs from others because she ultimately confronts the true cost of her desires and renounces the item she bought from Needful Things. When she recognizes that the amulet she purchased is actually poisoning her rather than helping her, she finds the strength to remove it and to kill the monster within.