The Childhood Betrayal and Hope Regained in Stephen King’s The Institute

Abstract

Childhood is a time worth remembering in everyone’s life. We all cherish the beautiful memories and fun we had in our childhood once we’re old. We never know the real value of a moment until it becomes a memory. Even now we are happy to go back to those places where we have spent our childhood. Thinking about it fills our heart with nostalgic feelings. But have you ever thought about children who never had such a beautiful childhood as yours? This novel takes us to those children who are being kidnapped from their parents and sent into a frightening government facility called ‘The Institute’ for gifted children! The Institute (2019) is a science fiction horror novel written by Stephen King. It is one of his terrifying novels yet. Many of his works are transformed into movies and television series.
 The main focus of this novel is on the childhood betrayal done by the authorities running the Institute, and the survival of the children. The story is written by taking the ideas of a fictional child abusing institution where gifted children from all over the country are taken in and they are being forced to undergo dreadful medical experiments. Most of the children have super powers of Telepathy or Telekinesis. The officials running the Institute want the children to get control over their powers and to master them, so that they can be used in wars. They can be used as weapons against terrorists, and as mind readers. The doctors don’t treat them like humans. To them they are merely test subjects. The government kills any test subjects it can’t control because only then it can keep the country safe. There is no hope of escape for the children, yet they are all finally escaped by the brave efforts of Luke Ellis, the main character in the novel and his friends.