An "IT" victim is in this book!

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AchtungBaby

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Dec 5, 2011
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*straightens tie, combs hair, speaks into mic*

Um, Patrick Hockstetter
died in 1958. Right? Oh, levels of tower and all that jazz, mmk. No, it's not really a spoiler since his death is in the chapter title: The Death of Patrick Hockstetter. Lol
Yeah.... I've never bought this connection. I think King just wanted to f*ck with his readers, maybe? It's the same thing as one of the full names of a kid from "The Body" (I think Maybe Teddy?) being mentioned at the end of Carrie-- which takes place
long after Teddy's death in "The Body"
.
 

Doc Creed

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Nov 18, 2015
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Yeah.... I've never bought this connection. I think King just wanted to f*ck with his readers, maybe? Same with one of the full names of a kid from "The Body" (I think Maybe Teddy?) being mentioned at the end of Carrie-- which takes place
long after Teddy's death in "The Body"
.
Precisely, my dear Watson!
But seriously, I agree with you.
 

Gerald

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Sep 8, 2011
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Listening to "Firestarter" on audible, and Patrick Hockstetter is a shrink used by the Shop as a consult on Charlie. I love when things like this pop up!

Is it actually meant to be the same character though or just a name SK used twice?
The SK Wiki makes no mention of his appearance in Firestarter and would a psychopathic bully become a shrink? Especially when you read the definition of solipsism, that's almost the opposite of what a shrink does - he would never be interested in another person's mind.
I forgot his role though in Firestarter - was he very psychopathic still, even as a shrink?

Patrick Hockstetter | Stephen King Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia

Oh, and on top of that, I forgot: he dies in It. So it can't be the same character, just the same name. Kind of confusing though to use the same name...
 

MikiM

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May 25, 2016
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Is it actually meant to be the same character though or just a name SK used twice?
The SK Wiki makes no mention of his appearance in Firestarter and would a psychopathic bully become a shrink? Especially when you read the definition of solipsism, that's almost the opposite of what a shrink does - he would never be interested in another person's mind.
I forgot his role though in Firestarter - was he very psychopathic still, even as a shrink?

Patrick Hockstetter | Stephen King Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia

Oh, and on top of that, I forgot: he dies in It. So it can't be the same character, just the same name. Kind of confusing though to use the same name...

He may have just re-used the name just to mess with us. That's a SK thing to do.
But yes, Hockstetter was a f'ed up psycho shrink in Firestarter. But, like our many shrink clients say...shrinks are usually way more messed up than their patients, which is why every shrink HAS a shrink.
Or six. ;;D
 

Gerald

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Sep 8, 2011
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He may have just re-used the name just to mess with us. That's a SK thing to do.
But yes, Hockstetter was a f'ed up psycho shrink in Firestarter. But, like our many shrink clients say...shrinks are usually way more messed up than their patients, which is why every shrink HAS a shrink.
Or six. ;;D

It's been so long since I've read Firestarter: was there a link to It apart from the same name? I also think he wrote Firestarter before It, so he yet had to work out the character how he appears in It.

And shrinks can be a little strange, a little distant, but so are a lot of medical doctors in general. I suppose they look at a patient in an analytical way, trying to judge as objectively as possible what the cause of an illness is.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
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It's been so long since I've read Firestarter: was there a link to It apart from the same name? I also think he wrote Firestarter before It, so he yet had to work out the character how he appears in It.

And shrinks can be a little strange, a little distant, but so are a lot of medical doctors in general. I suppose they look at a patient in an analytical way, trying to judge as objectively as possible what the cause of an illness is.
...I'm not a doctor, but as one who is in the health care field-that type of professional distance if you will, is developed over time....some of it involves analysis, but for me-it's the hard shell you don, because you never know when someone you're caring for may be taken by something you couldn't stop....the "shield" protects the truly tender feelings underneath....
 

Gerald

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Sep 8, 2011
2,201
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...I'm not a doctor, but as one who is in the health care field-that type of professional distance if you will, is developed over time....some of it involves analysis, but for me-it's the hard shell you don, because you never know when someone you're caring for may be taken by something you couldn't stop....the "shield" protects the truly tender feelings underneath....

But that's only in cases when there's a lot of contact between the patient and the doctor. And you don't have that so much with the doctors you meet when you have to go to a hospital, as they treat hundreds of patients. Or with a general practioner who has hundreds of patients too. Or even a shrink who just spends an hour with a patient for a session.

But it's a professional distance probably. Although not every doctor is like that. I've met (especially younger) doctors who you feel you make more of a connection with.