Bag of Bones

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination, racism, and rape.

Mike Noonan is the protagonist of Bag of Bones. He is characterized as a writer of moderately successful commercial fiction, having studied English in university. The novel begins with Mike becoming a widower following the death of his college sweetheart, Jo. Mike’s character arc is defined by his struggle to move on from Jo’s passing. His grief affects his writing career, which he feels is inextricable from his relationship with Jo.

Stephen King links Mike’s romantic life to his writing life by making Jo an integral part of Mike’s writing ritual. When Mike tries to replicate his ritual by repeating Jo’s magic words on his own, he feels hollow, signaling his dependence on Jo. Mike’s grief causes his writer’s block, with any attempt to write making him physically ill. Mike rationalizes that the block is his body’s way of manifesting his sense of futility in the creative endeavor. He compares himself to a “bag of bones” to suggest that nothing he does in the wake of Jo’s death will ever feel as meaningful or as impactful as it did when she was still alive.