- After the Flood (1957)
- After the Carnival (1984)
- Six Phone Calls (1985)
- Derry: The First Interlude
- Ben Hanscom Takes a Fall
- Bill Denbrough Beats the Devil (I)
- One of the Missing: A Tale From the Summer of '58
- The Dam In the Barrens
- Georgie's Room and the House On Neibolt Street
- Cleaning Up
- Derry: The Second Interlude
- The Reunion
- Walking Tours
- Three Uninvited Guests
- Derry: The Third Interlude
- The Apocalyptic Rockfight
- The Album
- The Smoke-Hole
- Eddie's Bad Break
- Another One of the Missing: The Death of Patrick Hockstetter
- The Bullseye
- Derry: The Fourth Interlude
- In the Watches of the Night
- The Circle Closes
- Under the City
- The Ritual of Chud
- Out
- Derry: The Final Interlude
- Epilogue: Bill Denbrough Beats the Devil (II)
The Smoke-Hole
As the adults continue telling stories into the night, it clear that something about the telling of these tales is charging them with an adolescent energy (the act of storytelling is also a reoccurring theme in King's work). The Adult Richie's flashback is motivated by him finally identifying what is causing the pain in his eyes that has caused him to revert to his glasses: smoke. Or rather, the memory of being in the smoke-hole and what he saw there.
The next time that kids all meet, Ben reveals the research he's done about Native Americans having visions in smoke holes. The kids decide to try it. They light a fire inside their underground hideout and stay inside amongst the smoke. Eventually, only Richie and Mike are left, and they have a vision of Derry, millions of years ago. Suddenly an evil force arrives from Outside of Everything; It has arrived in Derry to wait for the arrival of Man. Richie awakes from this vision to discover he's been rescued from the smoke-hole by the others. After retching a few times, he shares what they experienced. The group is scared, now truly realizing what they are up against.
This chapter is the closest we ever get to any backstory for It. We never learn exactly what Its origin is, or Its relationship to the Turtle, or even the full significance of the names Pennywise and Robert Gray. But we do learn of Its arrival, and again, it is fully cemented for the reader that Derry itself is evil.
Interestingly, I find the sections leading up to the smoke-hole more interesting than the event itself. Prior to going in, Beverly is initially excluded because she's a girl. She retaliates with a great speech which shows the strength of her character. When it's decided one of them should stay outside in case the others pass out, they draw matches, seeing who will get the burnt one, and the boys reconcile with her by each saying "I love you, Beverly" as they draw. It's a very sweet scene that indicates that the group is a single unit, and their crush on Beverly also foreshadows the sexual events of the climax. Finally, when Beverly is left with the last match, they are all shocked to discover that it is no longer burnt - a miraculous sign that some higher force wants all seven of them to participate. A nice fanciful touch, and the first overt mention in the book that there is a Good Force working with them in opposition to It. Although he's been implied several times by now, this can be seen as the true first time that the Turtle rears his head into the story.
On a final note, I do have to say that it is a bit foolish of these kids to pull such a dangerous stunt for no real reason other than a whim that it might help them. I always wondered if Mike spent the entire time in the hole thinking "What the FUCK kind of weird shit are these white kids playing?" I mean, let's say Richie and Mike got killed from the smoke; what are the others going to tell their parents? "Well, sorry that we got your son killed in such a stupid accident, but we did it because we thought it might give us a vision that would help us defeat this demonic force that we think is killing the kids in Derry. I guess it was pretty reckless of us, but it seemed like a good idea at time." Uh huh.
The next time that kids all meet, Ben reveals the research he's done about Native Americans having visions in smoke holes. The kids decide to try it. They light a fire inside their underground hideout and stay inside amongst the smoke. Eventually, only Richie and Mike are left, and they have a vision of Derry, millions of years ago. Suddenly an evil force arrives from Outside of Everything; It has arrived in Derry to wait for the arrival of Man. Richie awakes from this vision to discover he's been rescued from the smoke-hole by the others. After retching a few times, he shares what they experienced. The group is scared, now truly realizing what they are up against.
This chapter is the closest we ever get to any backstory for It. We never learn exactly what Its origin is, or Its relationship to the Turtle, or even the full significance of the names Pennywise and Robert Gray. But we do learn of Its arrival, and again, it is fully cemented for the reader that Derry itself is evil.
Interestingly, I find the sections leading up to the smoke-hole more interesting than the event itself. Prior to going in, Beverly is initially excluded because she's a girl. She retaliates with a great speech which shows the strength of her character. When it's decided one of them should stay outside in case the others pass out, they draw matches, seeing who will get the burnt one, and the boys reconcile with her by each saying "I love you, Beverly" as they draw. It's a very sweet scene that indicates that the group is a single unit, and their crush on Beverly also foreshadows the sexual events of the climax. Finally, when Beverly is left with the last match, they are all shocked to discover that it is no longer burnt - a miraculous sign that some higher force wants all seven of them to participate. A nice fanciful touch, and the first overt mention in the book that there is a Good Force working with them in opposition to It. Although he's been implied several times by now, this can be seen as the true first time that the Turtle rears his head into the story.
On a final note, I do have to say that it is a bit foolish of these kids to pull such a dangerous stunt for no real reason other than a whim that it might help them. I always wondered if Mike spent the entire time in the hole thinking "What the FUCK kind of weird shit are these white kids playing?" I mean, let's say Richie and Mike got killed from the smoke; what are the others going to tell their parents? "Well, sorry that we got your son killed in such a stupid accident, but we did it because we thought it might give us a vision that would help us defeat this demonic force that we think is killing the kids in Derry. I guess it was pretty reckless of us, but it seemed like a good idea at time." Uh huh.