“An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.” This is the dictionary definition of fear, and I think it’s just so simple and easy, especially when it’s supposedly describing something as complex as fear. Fear is the feeling you get when you catch a glimpse of the monster in your closet; fear is the pit in your sinking stomach when you walk down to the dark basement storage room to get whatever your Mother requested. Now imagine if fear was an actual being, one that could walk talk and even kill with its sick powers. This is the horrifying creature that Stephen King created perfectly in his novel IT. The monster that haunts these pages isn’t what you think it would be though; it is the town of Derry Maine itself. Derry simply isn’t right. You can tell as soon as you reach the town limits, a kind of haze overtakes you, and the entire town. It just screams “Turn around, this place will only hurt you and drive you insane!” The people within it are unfriendly and sour; they put up walls so nobody can know anything about them. But don’t blame them, it’s the town. The town demands every man for himself. So if I had to make a dictionary definition of fear, it would be simple “Derry, Maine.”
In this small alcove of Maine there is more than just fear, there is also bravery. “The Losers Club” or “The Lucky Seven” has gone through a lot in their 11 years of life, including intense bullying by Henry Bowers, and his pals, as well as some hardships in each of their personal lives. Bill Denbrough (the leader) has an awful stutter and a dead brother. Eddie Kasprak has a fake case of asthma cooked up by his over protective and obese mother. Richie Tozier is bullied for his terrible eyesight, and has a lack of parental guidance. Mike Hanlon is a victim of severe racism. Stan Uris is bullied for being Jewish. Ben Hanscom struggles with obesity and getting terrorized by Henry Bowers. And finally Beverly Marsh is abused by her father, and is extremely poor. On top of all of that these young characters have to travel deep into the sewers in order to keep the entire Derry population from being killed by an inhuman evil. That is what bravery is: the willingness to sacrifice your well being and safety for the greater good.
The actual walking living being living beneath the sewers is nothing more than a fun house mirror, a scary funhouse mirror, but a bag of convincing tricks all the same. If you’ve noticed fun house mirrors are pretty deceiving, they are able to make you believe you’re something you’re not, and it takes a lot of effort and strength really to look past that and see the truth. This is exactly the case with the fake clown that calls Itself Pennywise. All It is is smoke and mirrors, and just like everything It has a weakness; people seeing through it. The Losers come to realize that behind all the makeup and convincing props It is afraid of them, and this is what eventually defeats the terror living under Derry.
It takes a lot to stand up to your fears; it’s really not a walk in the park. To look the creature under your bed in the eye is practically unimaginable. But all that fear really is is your imagination. Once you realize the creature under your bed is nothing more than a bunched up blanket, bravery will come easily to you, as it did to those seven courageous kids. Some things like Derry will always be haunted, but by nothing more than the past.
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