Thus, Mears emerges as an altruist. Mark Petrie is a lot like Ben in his earnest desire to rid the Lot of the vampires. Both Mark Petrie and Ben Mears could have fled the Lot long before tackling the Marsten House. Kurt Barlow is one of the novel's most one-dimensional characters. The head vampire, Barlow is wholly without morals. He feeds only to sustain himself, is concerned only with his own needs, and does not feel any remorse for causing pain or suffering. Stephen King does not use just blood and gore to convey horror. Although icky and creepy elements do add nuance and amusement to King's work, what makes Salem's Lot a remarkable work of fiction is the author's command of timing and suspense. The novel captures readers' attention because of its multiple layers of horror. First, King establishes Salem's Lot as a vampire story. Vampires are archetypes deep in human consciousness; their presence in a novel automatically triggers a response of...

Vampires are, after all, fictitious figures even though their lore comes close to seeming like historical legend. The mob boss figure alluded to near the beginning of the novel and who owned the Marsten House provides an archetypal counterpoint for the Kurt Barlow character. Hubie Marsten was a ruthless gangster who in many ways does resemble real-life gang lords: he represents the total absence of human morality. As a psychopath, he is the epitome of evil. Second, King creates terror and suspense throughout the novel. Chilling moments of silence and relative peace punctuated by passages ripe with struggle create an emotional state that assists the reader in identifying with the story's protagonist. Finally, death and worse -- perpetual darkness -- permeate the novel. The vampiric state is in some ways the most terrible state of all: the individual is undead and yet must feed on life to maintain a mainly miserable existence.