Stephen King's novella The Mist takes place in a small cottage town in Western Maine, populated mainly by close-knit cottage people and summer vacationers. Western Maine is known for it's crystal clear lakes and rugged mountains, filled with quaint New England villages and winding back roads. The characters in the novella live in the town of Bridgton, which actually exists and currently has a population of approximately 5000 people. Bridgton has a humid continental climate, with hot summers and very cold winters. These humid summers can often induce thunderstorms to the like of that seen in the beginning of the story. This information allows us to gain a greater insight into the setting of the story.
Within the first two chapters, the narrator, David, mentions the atomic bomb testing of the 1950's as a possible factor for the strange weather, as speculated by the locals. In the spring of 1955, as the tensions grew in the Cold War, the U.S. began detonating atomic weapons in the Nevada desert, a little less than 4000 km from Maine. So far, the atomic weapon testing of the 50's and 60's has not had a significant impact on life today, yet scientists are still working to find links between cancer patients today and the possibility of radiation from these weapons having caused this. Having done this research, I now have a greater understanding of the lasting fear of radiation fallout that many characters of the story have. This also allows me to understand why characters may be wary about any nearby military projects, such as the fictional Arrowhead Project that is discussed several times.
While discussing past weather events that could compare to the strange mist that has arisen on the lake, the narrators mentions the Great Blizzard of 1888. Curious to find out if this actually occurred, I researched it and discovered that this was actually one of the most severe recorded blizzards in the history of the U.S., producing snow drifts of up to 50 feet in height. This blizzard affected the East Coast all the way from Chesapeake Bay to Maine, paralyzing the cities of Washington, Philadelphia, Boston and New York, and sinking 200 ships in the vicinity. This research allows us to have a greater understanding of local legends and history in this story, and how some characters rely on this more than others.
Bibliography:
Epstein, Samuel S. "Did the Atom Bomb Test Fallout Cause Cancer?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-s-epstein/atomic-bomb-did-the-atom_b_797822.html>. This source is the
Huffington Post, an established online news resource, with articles from reliable journalists and fairly unbiased reporters. The information they provide has all been backed by research. This source can be rated as credible.
"The Haunted Desert: Aftermath of a Nevada A-Bomb Test." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2015. <http://time.com/3675016/nevada-a-bomb-test/>. Time Magazine is an important, established and reliable news source, that provides well-sourced information and articles. The information gleaned from this source is credible.
"National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office." NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2015. <http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mkx/climate/big.php>. This source provides information from the National Weather Service Forecast Office, a reliable organization that serves as the official Weather Office for the government of the United States. Therefore, the information provided can be regarded as very credible.
"Western Lakes and Mountains." Maine Camping Guide. Maine Campground Owner's Association, n.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.campmaine.com%2Four_regions%2Fwestern-lakes-mountains%2F>. The information in this source is provided by the Maine Campground Owner's Association. Although it is most likely that some information in this source may be slightly exaggerated or embellished, in order to promote tourism, it is most likely credible.
By Olivia Makinson
Within the first two chapters, the narrator, David, mentions the atomic bomb testing of the 1950's as a possible factor for the strange weather, as speculated by the locals. In the spring of 1955, as the tensions grew in the Cold War, the U.S. began detonating atomic weapons in the Nevada desert, a little less than 4000 km from Maine. So far, the atomic weapon testing of the 50's and 60's has not had a significant impact on life today, yet scientists are still working to find links between cancer patients today and the possibility of radiation from these weapons having caused this. Having done this research, I now have a greater understanding of the lasting fear of radiation fallout that many characters of the story have. This also allows me to understand why characters may be wary about any nearby military projects, such as the fictional Arrowhead Project that is discussed several times.
While discussing past weather events that could compare to the strange mist that has arisen on the lake, the narrators mentions the Great Blizzard of 1888. Curious to find out if this actually occurred, I researched it and discovered that this was actually one of the most severe recorded blizzards in the history of the U.S., producing snow drifts of up to 50 feet in height. This blizzard affected the East Coast all the way from Chesapeake Bay to Maine, paralyzing the cities of Washington, Philadelphia, Boston and New York, and sinking 200 ships in the vicinity. This research allows us to have a greater understanding of local legends and history in this story, and how some characters rely on this more than others.
Bibliography:
Epstein, Samuel S. "Did the Atom Bomb Test Fallout Cause Cancer?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samuel-s-epstein/atomic-bomb-did-the-atom_b_797822.html>. This source is the
Huffington Post, an established online news resource, with articles from reliable journalists and fairly unbiased reporters. The information they provide has all been backed by research. This source can be rated as credible.
"The Haunted Desert: Aftermath of a Nevada A-Bomb Test." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2015. <http://time.com/3675016/nevada-a-bomb-test/>. Time Magazine is an important, established and reliable news source, that provides well-sourced information and articles. The information gleaned from this source is credible.
"National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office." NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2015. <http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mkx/climate/big.php>. This source provides information from the National Weather Service Forecast Office, a reliable organization that serves as the official Weather Office for the government of the United States. Therefore, the information provided can be regarded as very credible.
"Western Lakes and Mountains." Maine Camping Guide. Maine Campground Owner's Association, n.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.campmaine.com%2Four_regions%2Fwestern-lakes-mountains%2F>. The information in this source is provided by the Maine Campground Owner's Association. Although it is most likely that some information in this source may be slightly exaggerated or embellished, in order to promote tourism, it is most likely credible.
By Olivia Makinson