Rage Chapter 33 Review: Distance, Letters, and Memory
Book Metadata
- Title: Rage
- Author: Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
- ISBN: 9780451076458 Chapter 33 is an interoffice memo dated November 3, 1976, from Dr. Andersen to administrator Rich Gossage, and it is chilling for how ordinary it sounds. The subject is Theodore Jones. Andersen says he is still reluctant to use electroshock treatment, even though he cannot fully defend that decision except by “hunch.” He also notes a practical pressure point: Ted’s uncle is paying for care at Woodlands, and private treatment is expensive.
The plan is to wait four to six weeks for movement, then proceed with standard shock therapy if nothing changes. In the meantime, Andersen wants to restart the drug schedule and add synthetic mescaline and psilocybin, citing Will Greenberger’s reported success with semi-catatonic patients. He keeps circling one unanswered question: what really happened in the classroom after Charlie had the shades pulled down.
The diagnosis remains “flat-line catatonic state” with signs of deterioration, and Andersen ends by admitting he is less hopeful than before. That last admission does most of the emotional work. Ted was the class golden boy, the one who thought he could walk out untouched. Now he exists in clinical shorthand, reduced to treatment options, payment concerns, and uncertainty.
The next piece brings a letter from outside. Post Navigation Previous: Rage Chapter 32 Review: The Town Keeps the Scars Next: Rage Chapter 34 Review: Life Moves On Unevenly