History Literature / IT

* HateCrimesAreASpecialKindOfEvil: During the first book, Celestine becomes a member of the Flawed, a FantasticUnderclass marked by red arm bands and brandings due to committing specific acts deemed as making a person too flawed to exist in normal society. It's technically still illegal to commit crimes against them, but the hatred for them is so pervasive that people do it regardless. Celestine, who believed in the good of the system based on her dedication to [[TheSpock logic and reason]] at all times, is given a shocking wakeup call about the world when four kids from school kidnap and torture for their own amusement. Those kids immediately go from being portrayed as sympathetic characters to some of the most unpleasant in the story. Celestine is even reluctant to feel bad for them when [[spoiler:she finds them drugged out of their minds in the hospital along with everyone else [[HeKnowsTooMuch who knows about her illegal sixth brand.]]]]

* SpannerInTheWorks: Pennywise's own impatience and arrogance serves as this for him. In addition, he further hampers himself by breaking down and terrifying his prey, ensuring they won't go anywhere near the sewers. For example, he almost gets Bill into the sewer treatment plant by impersonating his father, but when Bill hesitates, he turns into a rotting corpse and grimly remarks on how they're all floating down here; Bill promptly freaks out and runs away. [[FridgeLogic This is because meat flavoured with fear tastes better.]]

* WhamLine : [[spoiler:"IT was not male. IT was female. And IT was pregnant."]]

* ATruceWhileWeGawk: During the rock fight. All of the kids (RagtagBunchOfMisfits and JerkJock[=s=] alike) stop fighting and turn to watch Victor Criss and Bill Denbrough start a rock-throwing duel, complete with an UnflinchingWalk towards each other. Even ''[[AxCrazy Henry]]'' pauses to watch.

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler:It is vaguely implied that the so-called ''Other'' had a hand in bringing the Losers together and infusing them with the courage necessary to face [[EldritchAbomination IT]].]]

* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: IT, at one point, [[spoiler:[[DoNotAdjustYourSet hijacks the narration]] and boasts about Its age and killing prowess]].

* {{Misblamed}}: An in-universe example; Henry is accused of committing all the murders in the Summer of 1958, when in reality, [[spoiler:the only person he actually kills is his own father]], but his sanity is so far gone by that point that he doesn't fight the charges. [[Henry also blames himself for the death of two friends who followed him in pursuit of the Losers, only to meet It.]]

** Ben's list of movie vampires that Pennywise's Dracula looks nothing like includes Reggie Nalder. His vampire role was in ''Salem's Lot''.

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Several of the 1985 murders have some connection to the Losers Club, and in one instance, It leaves a taunting message visible to be photographed, all so that they'll return to Derry and give It another chance to kill them. That this means ''they'll'' also have a chance to kill ''It'' seemingly doesn't cross Its mind, since it thinks they're too mature to tap into the same power they had as children. And guess what happens: a being millions of years old, who's killed and eaten who knows how many people, ends up [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Hoist By Its Own Petard]] because it couldn't resist being a Troll.

* SpookyPhotographs: That start moving and threatening you. And they bleed.
* [[DrinkingGame/StephenKing Stephen King Drinking Game]]: Probably the highest scoring of any of King's work.

** IT itself even counts. Though it is evil to the core, [[spoiler:IT never experienced pain itself before the events of the book]], so it's kinda sad. However, {{Creator/Stephen King}} [[UnintentionallySympathetic didn't intended the reader to feel that way]].

* PresentTenseNarrative: Chapters set in 1985 start out this way, switching to past tense in flashbacks to 1958. Once the adult Losers reunite in Derry, it briefly adopts past tense before switch back to present.

* PresentTenseNarrative: Chapters set in 1985 start out this way, switching to past tense in flashbacks to 1958. Once the adult Losers reunite in Derry, however, it switches back to past tense and stays that way.

* PresentDayPast: Part 3 (Grownups'), Chapter 11 (Walking Tours'), section 4 ('Richie Tozier makes tracks') includes the famous "All Dead Rock Show" poster. It lists Phil Lynott as bass guitarist. Unfortunately, he died in January 1986 and this takes place in mid-1985.

* MamaBear: Mrs. Kaspbrak, described in almost these exact words, [[spoiler:when Eddie is in the hospital after Henry breaks his arm.]]

* {{Misblamed}}: An in-universe example; Henry is accused of committing all the murders in the Summer of 1958, when in reality, [[spoiler:the only person he actually kills is his own father]], but his sanity is so far gone by that point that he doesn't fight the charges.

* YourCheatingHeart: [[spoiler:Bill and Beverly have sex as soon as there's an opportunity when they meet up again in 1985. In Beverly's case it's understandable, since she's just escaped from her abusive husband, but Billy is happily married!]]

** Averted in the literal sense; while Richie does add a rather inappropriate (by today's standard, if not that of 1958) southern black caricature voice to his repertoire after Mike's arrival, he does it good-naturedly, not out of maliciousness, and none of the Losers ever use the actual N-Word in Mike's presence.

''It'' is a 1986 horror novel by American author Creator/StephenKing. The story is about seven children being terrorized by a malevolent monster -- known only as It -- that shapeshifts to take the form of their deepest fears, but primarily appears in the guise of [[MonsterClown "Pennywise the Dancing Clown"]]. The novel features a nonlinear narrative which alternates between two different time periods (1958 and 1985) and shifts among the different perspectives and stories of its seven protagonists. It deals with themes which would eventually become King staples: the power of memory, childhood trauma and the ugliness lurking behind a small-town façade.

* DeusSexMachina: [[spoiler:[[{{Squick}} Bev has sex in the sewer with the other members of the Losers Club]]. Apparently it's supposed to be a metaphor for moving from childhood to adulthood.]] Another level of irony (and possibly a FamilyUnfriendlyAesop) also exists here, when you contrast this with another scene in the book. Bev's father is portrayed as an abusive, overprotective, borderline psychopath. When he learns that she's been playing with boys, he insists — violently — on ''physically'' checking to see if she's still a virgin. [[spoiler:Fortunately, she escapes him.]] At this point, she still is, and the scene plays out like an attempted rape. The real irony of the matter is that Beverly is inspired to [[spoiler:have sex with the boys]] ''because'' of what her father did. He put the idea in her head.

* KarmaHoudini: Victor "Boogers" Taliendo is a minor bully, and not a true member of Henry Bowers' gang. He spends most of his life in Derry and works as a janitor after he finished school. He has a few close calls when the flood starts, but ultimately makes it out alive.

* {{Gasshole}}: One of the bullies communicates solely via burping into victim's faces; he is aptly named Belch.

* ManChild: Adrian Mellon is described as "rather childlike." Henry never really progressed past the twelve-year-old bully. And IT describes Ben, Bill and Richie as "boy-men" during their final confrontation.

** There's also one from Bill's taxi driver, "Pardon my French if you're a religious person."