Premium_Harmony

Premium Harmony by Stephen King Stephen King’s short story, “Premium Harmony”, takes us through the final afternoon of a couple who are basically just trying to make it from one day to the next. The story begins, “They’ve been married for ten years and for a long time everything was O.K. - swell - but now they argue.” Marriages survive upon meeting in the middle or agreeing to disagree and then moving on but “Premium Harmony” is far from such marital bliss. Ray and Mary seem to argue pretty much about everything, not ever really having a positive thing to say to one another. Ray refers to their arguments “like greyhounds chasing the mechanical rabbit”, meaning they don’t seem to even realize they are arguing it’s simply that over the years became a habit to them both. I would agree that they seem to stick with their marriage because it’s who they are, it’s their routine. The story begins with Ray and Mary heading to the local Wal-Mart for grass seed. It sounds like this has been an argument going on for awhile, Mary who feels like the house would sell better if they fixed the lawn but Ray continues to stress that grass won’t grow because it’s too hot of a summer. Remembering her niece’s birthday, Mary suddenly insists Ray first stop at “Quik-Pik” so she can pick up the gift, a purple kickball. Both try to stand firm and support why or why not to make the stop. Ray is troubled by the thought “she’ll get her way”. Throughout the story, it is apparent that Ray displays resentment towards almost anything that has to do with his wife. Starting with the dog, which he originally got for Mary when she found out she couldn’t have children. The dog, Biznezz but called Biz for short, in Ray’s opinion is “always looking at Mary, even when he is the one talking.” Next, he resents the niece for no other reason than because Mary wishes to make a special stop to purchase a birthday gift which he felt was unnessary. To justify the special stop, Ray makes the request to his wife to buy him a pack of “smokes” only to fester things into yet another issue, their financial troubles. Next comes a back and forth bickering about how much he smokes and her weight problem. Although Ray “knows how sensitive she is about her weight”, he continues to address her weight until she backs away from the subject of his smoking. It is clear to me at this point that the couple’s marriage is far from healthy in many aspects. When Ray does make that stop at the “Quik-Pik” for Mary, he still seems to try to get the last jab in by parking inconveniently close to the building making it difficult for her to get out and into the store. Even while waiting in the car, he continues to revisit their rants in his mind and reasons with himself about some of the decisions he’s made with no remorse. Following the news of his wife’s collapse and then death, Ray doesn’t seem to be phased. When the paramedic breaks the news to him, “well sir, I’m sorry to say that she’s dead” - Ray replies, “Oh”, gets up from the floor where is Mary is laying, “they told me she was”. Even complete strangers, like the employees in the store and shoppers, were more upset by the news than Ray. As Mary’s body is moved onto the gurney and a sheet is pulled up over her face, Ray simply watches. He returns several hours later to his car to then find Biz dead from being left in the hot car. He remarks, “Well, you’re with her now, ain’t you'” and although he does shed some tears, he begins celebrating to himself because he will now be able to “smoke all he wants, and anywhere in the house”. Before he leaves, he goes back into the store to get his pack of cigarettes that he had wanted in the first place and what Mary so adamantly refused to get him. Ray certainly was determined to get his “smokes”. Reflecting on Ray’s lack of emotion when it came to the sudden loss of his wife and then his way of looking at the bright side by being able to smoke when and where he pleases, it seems as if he has already grieved over the years through the death of the marriage. News of not being able to have children and financial instabilities, both seeming to be the lone fault of one or the other. Mary knowing “it was her problem” that she couldn’t conceive. Ray trying to shrug off the selling of the house but Mary remaining insistent they do or they would “be bankrupt” - possibly making Ray feel less of a provider. All of which is why I feel that in the end, it is possible that both Ray and Mary both could have found their “Premium Harmony”.