Cujo Essay Research Paper The story starts

Cujo Essay, Research Paper

The story starts with a little rabbit peeping its head out of a hole in the ground. It bounds through the forest and emerges in a meadow where it sits up on its hind end to look around. Then a Saint Bernard (Cujo) appears and chases it around, eventually into a cavernous hole in the ground. Cujo sticks his head into the hole and barks, disturbing the bats who have roosted in there for the day. They fly around and screech and one lands on Cujo’s snout and gnaws on him for awhile.

Now we go to the big Trenton house. Tad, the son, has a problem with his closet door popping open. He closes it, then shuts off the light and makes a mad dash across the room for the bed. He stares at his closet door, it opens, and he screams. Vic and Donna come in to comfort him. Tad insists he saw the monster. Mom and Dad say there’s no such thing as real monsters. After they go back to bed, Tad says, “Except in my closet. Please, please, please.” The next morning, everything that isn’t nailed down is piled in front of Tad’s closet door. Steve Kemp comes in and mooches off the Trentons. On the television is an advertisement for Sharp’s cereal, a professor who says, “Nothing wrong here!” Vic works for an advertising firm, and the professor is one of his creations.

Vic and Kemp play tennis, and Kemp loses. Vic says, “You aren’t getting tired of this, are ya.” Kemp replies, “What, are you kidding me. Getting my ass handed to me every week. No, I love it. I’m a masochist.” “Well, whatever turns you on,” says Vic. Cut to Kemp playing his trombone (literally, not figuratively) in bed with Donna Trenton. Donna puts on her underwear and goes home. At dinner that night, Vic suggests they have another kid because they’ve run out of stuff to talk about.

Vic takes his car into the shop with some complaint about a front wheel. He wants it fixed while he waits, which the mechanic won’t do. The mailman suggests he take it out to Joe Camber. Vic does, and he takes Donna and Tad with him. Donna wanders in front of the house, where Charity Camber is plucking a dead chicken. Then she sees Cujo trotting into the barnyard and runs over to snatch up Tad. The Cambers’ son Brett says it’s all right, and eventually Donna gets a grip and lets Tad down to pet the dog. That night Vic makes the rounds in Tad’s room, saying some strange incantation to ward off monsters. It seems to make Tad feel better. The next day the news says that thousands of people reported internal hemorrhaging after eating Sharp’s cereal. The cereal was recalled, but it turned out kids were only “peeing and puking” red dye. Vic is facing a crisis at work, though.

Joe is using some loud equipment. Cujo looks at him and trots away.

Donna goes to see Kemp to break off their affair. He acts resigned, but then chases after her. Vic drives by and sees Kemp grabbing her by the car. He goes back, but they’re gone. Donna picks up Tad from camp. The car has some serious problems on the way home. Vic is home early and asks what she did that day; she claims groceries, errands, the usual.

Joe comes flying up the drive and grinds to a halt in his noisy truck. Cujo stalks off. Joe finds an engine hoist in the barn and storms into the house, cussing at Charity because they can’t afford it. She tells him she won $5,000 in the lottery, and she wants to take their son to visit her sister for a week. Joe is visiting with his friend Gary; they’re making a lot of noise and Cujo is lying on the floor making distressed noises. Joe has decided to take off for a week of “broads, booze, and baseball” and wants Gary to join him.

Vic picks up Tad from camp early. Back at home, Donna’s gets a surprise visit from Kemp. He wants her back, says “I miss touching you,” then proceeds to try. He slides his hand up her dress and kisses her and when she finally fends him off, he shoves her, which spills some milk and brings Vic and Tad into the kitchen. Kemp leaves. Vic looks at Donna and says, “Yes or no,” and she says, “Yes.” Vic tries to fix the Pinto and can’t. He’s going to be out of town for ten days to try to salvage the Sharp’s account. He promises Tad to write down the monster words so that Mommy can say them. Tad sleeps soundly with the monster words posted on his closet door.

The next morning is very foggy at the Camber house. Brett hears some moaning-yelping-whining noises and goes out to call Cujo. After awhile he hears some vicious growling, so he turns to run home and finds it’s Cujo behind him. Brett tries to soothe him, and Cujo stops growling and walks off into the fog.

Vic forgot to take the Pinto to Joe’s, so Donna will have to do it. As he drives off, Donna runs after him. She tells him that the affair is over, but she can’t make like it never happened. He says he can’t either and drives off.

Brett’s loading the car for the trip. He tells his mother, “I’m worried about Cujo. I saw him this morning in the fog and he was all bloody, he was dripping foam at the mouth.” He wants to tell his father, but his mother tells him he will do no such thing.

Cujo is walking down the road. He shows up at Gary’s house and attacks him outside. Gary gets away and goes into the house, closing and locking the screen door behind himself, but leaving the large, solid wooden door wide open. He starts trying to load his gun, and Cujo starts ripping down the screen. He g