The Shadow Man story
The Shadow Man, a mysterious entity made of darkness, defends a boy in exchange for being allowed to stay under his bed. Directed by: Joe Dante. Story by: Rockne S. O'Bannon.
12 total · 6 major · 6 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| childhood terrors | major | Danny was scared of bogeyman-like things and had to sleep with the lights on, and then he saw the Shadow Man. |
| childish bullying | major | Danny was bullied by some of the other boys in his school. |
| fear | major | The story started with Danny being spooked by some pranksters and being afraid to sleep with the lights off. The teens were afraid of the Shadow Man. |
| poetic justice | major | Danny intended the bully to be killed by the Shadow Man but himself got killed by another Shadow Man instead. |
| shadow monster | major | The Shadow Man was living under Danny's bed. |
| what if I had a secret guardian | major | Danny believed he could stand up to the bully because his Shadow Man would protect him. |
| compromising one's ethical principles for personal advantage | minor | Danny declined to report what he knew because he liked what it gave him. |
| dumb jock stereotype | minor | Danny's bully was dressed in a varsity jacket and was not too bright. |
| love triangle | minor | Danny had a crush on the bully's girlfriend. |
| mother and son | minor | Danny's mom chided him for sleeping with the lights on. |