Kick the Habit, or Kick the Bucket is the premise of Stephen King's "Quitters, Inc." where a smoker aims to quit the habit by any means necessary. Dick Morrison reunites with his old friend Jimmy McCann at the bar in Kennedy International airport.
During their previous meeting, McCann informed Morrison that he had successfully stopped smoking, received a promotion, and improved his physical fitness. McCann recommended Quitters, Inc., an agency that aided him in quitting smoking and handed Morrison their business card. A month later, Morrison discovered the card falling out of his wallet and decided to visit the agency. Upon arrival, he was introduced to Vic Donatti, who was responsible for handling his case.
Morrison agrees to keep everything about his treatment confidential according to his contract. During a session, Donatti informs Morrison that he will never smoke again. Upon Morri
...son's return, Donatti greets him with a smile but abruptly punches the pack of cigarettes on Morrison's person. Donatti then impresses upon Morrison the extent of their knowledge about their clients by referencing Morrison's son, whom he had never disclosed. Donatti identifies himself as a pragmatist, prioritizing practicality in determining success or failure.
Donatti demonstrates to Morrison that rabbits can be conditioned to avoid food by associating it with electric shocks and eventually starve themselves. Donatti then reveals different methods used to discipline clients who fail, the final one being execution. They assure a permanent cure for smoking addiction. Despite compliance, Morrison slips and his wife is abducted. He is forced to witness her being electrocuted for thirty seconds. Upon her release, she acknowledges their objective. Morrison puts on weight and Donatti warns him that if he
fails to lose it, his wife's pinky finger will be severed.
After receiving the Quitters, Inc business card from Morrison and being told that it changed his life, Crony becomes involved. Years later, Morrison and his wife run into McCann and his wife at the theater. When Morrison shakes hands with McCann's wife, he realizes her pinky is missing. This realization hits him later. King's perspective on smoking and methods to quit are reminiscent of American society.
Donatti brandishes a firearm and asserts, “Even the unregenerate two percent never smoke again. We guarantee it.” (219) He prioritizes outcomes over methodology, paralleling a common American attitude: seeking prompt results regardless of the associated expenses. The notorious company demonstrated its extreme measures in preventing Morrison from smoking, resorting to abducting and subjecting his spouse to agony before him.
This action had the desired outcome as Morrison never relapsed again, showing the consequences of vices in society like smoking, gambling, and drinking. Morrison, like many others, is unable to quit smoking despite lacking faith in his ability to do so, just as showcased in "Quitters, Inc."
Jimmy McCann shared an excerpt wherein he revealed that despite his reluctance to quit smoking, he was advised by his doctor to do so when he was diagnosed with an incipient ulcer. McCann expressed his hesitance to quit smoking by likening it to being told to stop breathing. Nevertheless, he eventually found the right motivations to quit smoking.
Later on in the story, Morrison also overcame his smoking habit due to the concern that it could harm his family. This highlights the fact that one is willing to go to great lengths to protect their loved ones
from harm.
Quitters, Inc employs unconventional and intimidating methods to help individuals quit smoking. By threatening to harm loved ones, such as Donatti's wife and son, Morrison was able to break free from his habit after only one slip-up. Unlike traditional rehabilitation centers, Quitters, Inc operates more like a mafia organization than a standard treatment facility.
While they aim to make you quit smoking, they are not opposed to ending your life. They guarantee that you will quit smoking, even if it may result in your death. Donatti underscores his message to Morrison by brandishing a silenced .45 gun from a desk drawer and smiling at him.
According to the text, Donatti does not concern himself with legality, but demands strict obedience from others, with severe consequences for disobedience. This behavior resembles that of the traditional mafia. Overall, "Quitters, Inc." is analogous to a business leader's approach in modern times.
The excerpt from Stephen King's "Quitters, Inc." highlights the harsh truth about societal vices and the pursuit of success at any cost, while showcasing the American ideals. The protagonist of the story is an ordinary man who is presented with an extraordinary situation that could either save or doom him. King's "Night Shift" (1979) includes this work in its bibliography.
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