The Dark Meaning Behind 'Float' in Stephen King’s Pennywise

The enigmatic phrase 'float' said by Pennywise in Stephen King's works carries a deep, dark symbolism that is often misunderstood. In the 1990 miniseries adaptation, the logic behind this phrase is often lost, making it a lesser-known element of the chilling storyline. However, to fully comprehend its significance, one must delve into the original book and the symbolic meanings associated with it.

The Original Miniseries

In the adaptation of Stephen King’s It from 1990, Pennywise lures his victims underground into a great spiraling spider web where they float before being consumed. This allows for an eerie and unsettling visual, but it misses the underlying symbolic meaning that elevates the phrase 'float' to a deeper level of dread and horror.

The Book: A Closer Look

When stepping into the original text, It, the phrase 'float' takes on a much more sinister and profound significance. In one of the most haunting scenes, Bill’s little brother Georgie is playing with a homemade sailboat that gets swept into a storm drain. Here, Pennywise, in his villainous manifestation, poses a question to Georgie that reveals a parallel to his terrifying actions: “Do they float?”

Child’s Curiosity and Clowns' Game

For a child, asking whether a balloon "floats" in the context of a storm drain implies a deeper question about their fate: are they truly floating or being consumed in a way that defies normal understanding? Pennywise, with his twisted logic, sees these children as decorations, floating endlessly in a macabre art gallery of death.

The Symbolism of Floating

The idea of "floating" is linked to the concept of the "deadlights," a term used in the narrative to describe Pennywise's true form in a higher dimension. In the sewer, dead bodies and objects float, but these are merely a physical manifestation of the deeper meaning. When a person dies and is consumed by Pennywise, their "soul," to use a colloquial term, joins the deadlights, where they float endlessly, a grim and eternal existence.

The Conceit of Afterlife in Pennywise's Universe

Pennywise's twisted view of the afterlife is a stark contrast to the traditional understanding. He taunts his victims with the idea of their souls “decorating” his realm. The phrase “time to float this” is a chilling reminder that, in his universe, death offers no respite from his domain. Unlike Heaven or Hell, Pennywise's afterlife is a twisted existence, floating endlessly in a void, an eternal nightmare.

Further Exploration

To fully appreciate the symbolism behind 'float,' one must read the original book. King’s narrative leaves much to the reader's imagination, with the sewer serving as a profound metaphor for the darkened recesses of the human psyche. The deadlights, a central concept, are not just a physical description but a representation of the void and the endless waiting that awaits those consumed by Pennywise.

Therefore, if one wants to delve deeper into the unsettling implications of 'float,' reading the book is essential. The story becomes even more chilling when the reader understands the true horror implied by Pennywise's words, making the experience far more immersive and haunting than any movie adaptation could capture.

By understanding the symbolic layers within the text, one can appreciate the full depth and significance of the phrase 'float' in Stephen King’s chilling narrative.