Main Conflict and Resolution
Main Conflict-When the super flu was released and 99.4% of humanity was wiped out, two powers still stood standing: good and evil. With the evil side being led by Randall Flagg and Mother Abigail at the helm of the good side, these two super powers were at a standstill. But while Mother Abigail and her followers were recreating a democratic society, Randall Flagg and his squad were busy building stockpile of weapons. Randall Flagg is the main antagonist in the story, and he is antagonizing Mother Abigail and the Free Zone. The main conflict in The Stand by Stephen King is society vs society because it is between Flagg's group and Mother Abigail's group. The Free Zone lives in fear of their counterparts to the west, and this is where the main conflict is born. Most of the story is spent trying to figure out a way to defeat Randall Flagg and how to live in peace and freedom. The conflict is between one group of people and the other group. As Mother Abigail states, "You are to go west..."(King 919). This is the plan set forth by Mother Abigail, and that plan is to confront their enemies in the west. If the conflict is not resolved soon, the Free Zone will be destroyed. As Randall Flagg says, "Some lovely Legionnaires' disease for Christmas, or would you rather have the new and improved Swine flu?" (King 983). This quote shows that Randall Flagg is evil, and that he is hatching a plan to attack the Free Zone with a virus in order to kill all of them. This shows that the conflict between Flagg's group and Mother Abigail's group is very dangerous and must be resolved soon.
Resolution-The resolution of The Stand occurs when a nuclear bomb is ignited and destroys Randall Flagg and all of his followers. As it is stated in the book, "And the righteous and unrighteous alike were consumed in that holy fire" (king 1085). This quote shows that the entire city of Las Vegas is destroyed when the bomb is ignited by the power of God. When the evil in the west is destroyed, peace and freedom is earned in Boulder. The citizens of Boulder continue to build a democratic society, and everyone is right in the world. Life is kind of back to the way it was before the apocalypse. But things don't stay perfect for long. At the end of the book, it shows Randall Flagg being reincarnated in some other country and starting the entire process over again. Although the evil is gone for the most part, this last part of book shows a truly real fact. The fact that is shown is that there will always be evil in the world, and nothing can be done to stop it permanently.
Resolution-The resolution of The Stand occurs when a nuclear bomb is ignited and destroys Randall Flagg and all of his followers. As it is stated in the book, "And the righteous and unrighteous alike were consumed in that holy fire" (king 1085). This quote shows that the entire city of Las Vegas is destroyed when the bomb is ignited by the power of God. When the evil in the west is destroyed, peace and freedom is earned in Boulder. The citizens of Boulder continue to build a democratic society, and everyone is right in the world. Life is kind of back to the way it was before the apocalypse. But things don't stay perfect for long. At the end of the book, it shows Randall Flagg being reincarnated in some other country and starting the entire process over again. Although the evil is gone for the most part, this last part of book shows a truly real fact. The fact that is shown is that there will always be evil in the world, and nothing can be done to stop it permanently.
Nuclear Explosion. Illustration. n. d. "NUCLEAR EXPLOSION 1884 HD WALLPAPER PICTURES." topgalleryphoto.com. Web. 14. Oct. 2014.
American Flag. Photograph. n. d. "School Can Ban American Flag Shirts Over Safety Concerns, Federal Court Rules." huffingtonpost.com. Web. 14. Oct. 2014.
American Flag. Photograph. n. d. "School Can Ban American Flag Shirts Over Safety Concerns, Federal Court Rules." huffingtonpost.com. Web. 14. Oct. 2014.