Can someone (including Stephen) clear up the Glick/Barlow scenario? *SPOILERS*

[He Who Walks Alone]

Hi all,

Salem's Lot is my favorite King book, and one of my favorite novels, period. There is one part of it that has confused me for the longest time, and I'm hoping it can be answered here: Who attacks Ralphie Glick and when?

The Glick boys never make it to Mark's house. Ralphie vanishes (taken by Straker). Danny Glick stumbles back to his parents some time after that. Now, was he bitten by Barlow in the woods shortly after Ralphie was grabbed?

Here's why I'm confused: At that point in the novel, those two workmen had yet to pick up that large crate from the dock. I'm assuming that Barlow was in there.

If that's the case, how can Barlow have attacked Danny when he's in that Crate?

The only explanation I can think of is it was Barlow's coffin (among other evil possessions) in that crate, and Barlow was already holed up in the Marsten House, allowing him to roam and bite.

Or, Danny wasn't bitten in the woods. Maybe Straker clocked him and confused him, and he was later visited by Barlow in his room after the crate was delivered. (The movies indicate that Ralphie visited his brother, but there's no indication of that happening in the book.)

So, can anyone clear this up for me? Including the Head Honcho?

Thanks!
Matt

I'm actually reading the book NOW. The events of the novel occur over just 20 days - between September 16 and October 6. Yet, within those not-quite three weeks, the town becomes overrun with vampires. It's mentioned that in the book that on the morning of the 5th day of searching for Ralphie, Danny collapses in the middle of the night and is admitted to the hospital. The hospital admittance form lists September 23. So that confirms that the boys were attacked and Ralphie was killed on 9/18.

So...

1. September 18 - Straker attacks Danny and Ralphie Glick in the woods. Later that night, Straker sacrifices Ralphie to "The Lord of the Flies" Ralphie in the Harmony Hill Cemetery. This prepares the way for Barlow's arrival in Salem's Lot.
2. September 22. - Straker tells Crockett to pick up the "sideboard" at the docks. Hank Peters and Royal Snow pick it up at the Portland docks at 7 PM. They both make comments about how heavy it is and how something seems to be shifting in side. It's Barlow's coffin with Barlow in it. Both men have a heightened and growing sense of fear and dread over this errand and it's because they unconsciously sense Barlow's presence in the truck. This is right out Dracula and Murnau's Nosferatu where the vampire is transported via ship in his coffin.
3. On the night of September 23 - Early morning September 24 Danny is bitten and killed by Barlow shortly before 1:00 A.M. on September 24.

 

[GNTLGNT]

I'm actually reading the book NOW. The events of the novel occur over just 20 days - between September 16 and October 6. Yet, within those not-quite three weeks, the town becomes overrun with vampires. It's mentioned that in the book that on the morning of the 5th day of searching for Ralphie, Danny collapses in the middle of the night and is admitted to the hospital. The hospital admittance form lists September 23. So that confirms that the boys were attacked and Ralphie was killed on 9/18.

So...

1. September 18 - Straker attacks Danny and Ralphie Glick in the woods. Later that night, Straker sacrifices Ralphie to "The Lord of the Flies" Ralphie in the Harmony Hill Cemetery. This prepares the way for Barlow's arrival in Salem's Lot.
2. September 22. - Straker tells Crockett to pick up the "sideboard" at the docks. Hank Peters and Royal Snow pick it up at the Portland docks at 7 PM. They both make comments about how heavy it is and how something seems to be shifting in side. It's Barlow's coffin with Barlow in it. Both men have a heightened and growing sense of fear and dread over this errand and it's because they unconsciously sense Barlow's presence in the truck. This is right out Dracula and Murnau's Nosferatu where the vampire is transported via ship in his coffin.
3. On the night of September 23 - Early morning September 24 Danny is bitten and killed by Barlow shortly before 1:00 A.M. on September 24.

 

[Joseph Burdette]

Barlow was in the crate, Straker had to preform certain rituals before he could come. He may have bled Danny as a way to mark him for Barlow when he first comes but whatever happened in those woods was not a vampire strike.

 

[deadmarlowe]

Just read SL for the first time and this very question bugged me.

Then I realised Danny is buried on Harmony Hill. Isn't that the point of the sacrifice of Ralphie? To curse Danny and the cemetery so that when Danny is buried here he turns into a vampire? Danny later spreads his vampirism through contagion but he himself becomes undead by succumbing to a black magic curse then being placed in accursed grave.

Barlow himself seems to remain inactive up in the Marston.House waiting for Danny's resurrection to trigger his own marauding. It's as if Danny's transformation marks the rest of the community out as prey for the undead - a weird application of Freud's dictum that "the child is father to.the man".

Before Barlow can run around vamping innocents, the whole town has to be consecrated to the Devil: this begins with the offering of Ralphie Glick and is consummated with the supernatural corruption of Danny Glick. It's as if the very first vampire in an outbreak has to come about through direct demonic intervention: after that 'nature" (so to speak) takes its course, domino-style, with standard plague escalations.

Just my thoughts ....

 

[Moderator]

Just read SL for the first time and this very question bugged me.

Then I realised Danny is buried on Harmony Hill. Isn't that the point of the sacrifice of Ralphie? To curse Danny and the cemetery so that when Danny is buried here he turns into a vampire? Danny later spreads his vampirism through contagion but he himself becomes undead by succumbing to a black magic curse then being placed in accursed grave.

Barlow himself seems to remain inactive up in the Marston.House waiting for Danny's resurrection to trigger his own marauding. It's as if Danny's transformation marks the rest of the community out as prey for the undead - a weird application of Freud's dictum that "the child is father to.the man".

Before Barlow can run around vamping innocents, the whole town has to be consecrated to the Devil: this begins with the offering of Ralphie Glick and is consummated with the supernatural corruption of Danny Glick. It's as if the very first vampire in an outbreak has to come about through direct demonic intervention: after that 'nature" (so to speak) takes its course, domino-style, with standard plague escalations.

Just my thoughts ....

Welcome to the Board!

 

[Spideyman]

Hi and welcome!!

 

[deadmarlowe]

Thanks for adding me