History Literature / DifferentSeasons

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* ScreamingBirth: Averted. Sandra Stansfield practices the titular breathing method, which is designed to let the woman "use her breath for something more useful than screaming". [[spoiler:Unfortunately, this is a contributing factor in her death; the taxi driver taking her to hospital is creeped out when she's breathing heavily but not screaming, turns to check if she's okay, skids on a patch of ice, and crashes the cab, killing her, though she [[{{Determinator}} doesn't let]] a little thing like ''decapitation'' interfere with the delivery of her child.]] The narrator, Dr McCarron, mentions that this was very common in the '30s, since [[YourMindMakesItReal women heard from everywhere that giving birth is very painful -- so it turned out to be painful]].

* ScreamingBirth: Averted. The mother practices the titular breathing method, which is designed to let the woman "use her breath for something more useful than screaming". [[spoiler:Unfortunately, this is a contributing factor in her death; the taxi driver taking her to hospital is creeped out when she's breathing heavily but not screaming, turns to check if she's okay, skids on a patch of ice, and crashes the cab, killing her, though she [[{{Determinator}} doesn't let]] a little thing like ''decapitation'' interfere with the delivery of her child.]] The narrator mentions that this was very common in the '30s, since [[YourMindMakesItReal women heard from everywhere that giving birth is very painful -- so it turned out to be painful]].

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* Stand-InParents: Dussander attends a parent/teacher conference at Todd's school, impersonating his grandfather so that they can manage to keep Todd's parents from finding out that his grades are in free fall.

!!Tropes present in ''Apt Pupil'' and ''The Breathing Method'':
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* NaziGrandpa: Arthur Denker in ''Apt Pupil'' -- real name Kurt Dussander. He pretends to be a German emigrant who fought in the army during the war; he was actually the commander of a minor concentration camp.
* NaziProtagonist: In ''Apt Pupil'', the two main characters are an ex-Nazi and a young boy who wants to learn everything about his time in Germany.
* RetiredMonster: In ''Apt Pupil'', Todd is fascinated by his old neighbour, Kurt Dussander, who took part in Nazi atrocities. His increasing fascination with the old man slowly brings back the monster in him.

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* NaziGrandpa: Arthur Denker in ''Apt Pupil'' -- real name Kurt Dussander. He pretends to be a German emigrant who fought in the army during the war; he was actually the commander of a minor concentration camp.

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The tropes present in ''Shawshank'' and ''Stand by Me'' can be found on their respective movies' pages.

In addition to the novellas, the book contains an afterword by King in which he speaks about being typecast as a horror writer, and the plight of the unfortunate author who has written a story that is too short to be sold as a novel, and yet too long to comfortably be printed by short-fiction magazines and anthologies.

* ''Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (or, Hope Springs Eternal)'' - Hope springs eternal, even in prison. Made into the [[Film/TheShawshankRedemption number one movie on IMDb's Top 250]].

In addition to the novellas, the book contains an afterword by King in which he speaks about being typecast as a horror writer, and the plight of the unfortunate author who has written a story that is too short to be sold as a novel, and yet too long to comfortably be printed by short-fiction magazines and anthologies.

[[AC:Novellas in ''Skeleton Crew'':]]

* ''Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption'': Related by its narrator, known only as "Red," this story is about his friend Andy Dufresne, who, like Red, is incarcerated in Maine's Shawshank State Prison. Andy must fight adversity in the form of "the sisters," a gang of violent rapists,

* ''Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption'': Related by its narrator, known only as "Red," this story is about his friend Andy Dufresne, who, like Red, is incarcerated in Maine's Shawshank State Prison.