Stephen King's evolution on race: Re-reading Duma Key

Abstract

Stephen King is at times more self-reflective about his depictions of blackness than it might seem at first glance. He ruminates upon his own complicated role as a white writer who, on occasion, speaks through the mouths of black characters. King has demonstrated a willingness, especially in his twenty-first century fiction, to interrogate his biases. Put simply, we should not be too hasty in dismissing (or cancelling) King. To address this further, we propose another look at Duma Key, a novel that scrutinizes the role of popular artists in reinforcing as well as revising ideas about race in America.