Marty Coslaw

Martin Coslaw is a fictional character in the Stephen King universe. He appears in the novella Cycle of the Werewolf and the film Silver Bullet. Coslaw, the primary protagonist of both the novella and the film, is a paraplegic. He was portrayed by Corey Haim in the film.^[1]

Background information

Coslaw, 10, lives at home with his family in Tarker's Mills, Maine, including his father Herman, his mother, whose name is not given, his sister Kate, and his paternal grandfather. Herman, a physical education teacher, is always uneasy around Marty as he sometimes sees Marty watching other children play sports. His mother refuses to spoil him, and Kate is especially jealous of him. His grandfather is described as being a run-of-the-mill grandparent. Although he has extended relationships with his immediate family and his grandfather, he is perhaps closest with his maternal uncle Al, whose last name is not given.

Role in the novella

In March, during a power outage, the werewolf kills a drifter, his third victim. Marty, unable to sleep, hears the wolf howling in triumph along with many other citizens in Tarker's Mills.

In July, after the Fourth of July fireworks are cancelled, Marty coaxes his Uncle Al into giving him some illegal fireworks so that he can celebrate himself. After setting off his last true firework, Marty is attacked by the werewolf, and manages to defend himself by throwing a bag of Black Cat firecrackers into the monster's face, destroying its left eye. After the encounter, his perceptions of his family are changed, except for Al and his grandfather, the Maine State Police believe he is suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome, and he is sent away to live with relatives in Stowe, Vermont in fear of retaliation by the Full Moon Killer.

In October, on Halloween, Marty goes trick or treating and discovers that the only person living in Tarker's Mills missing a left eye is Baptist Reverend Lester Lowe. Throughout the months of November and December, Marty sends Lowe threatening letters telling him to commit suicide.

In December, Marty convinces his Uncle Al to melt down his confirmation spoon into two silver bullets. On New Year's Eve, the werewolf attacks Marty, who shoots him twice, completely blinding him and eventually killing him. Marty, Al, and Herman, who was oblivious to the plot to kill the werewolf, watch the now deceased monster transform into a deceased Reverend Lowe.

Role in the film

In the film, Marty is introduced as having a strained relationship with his older sister, Jane. His best friend is also identified as being Brady Kincaid, a rebellious youth. Marty was playing cards with his Uncle Red when Stella Randolph was killed.

His friend Tammy Sturmfuller lived next door to Stella, and he accompanied her home from school shortly after Stella's death, when she told him she had been hearing strange noises from her father's plant shed. That night, her father, Milt Sturmfuller, was killed in the shed.

Shortly thereafter, Marty went to fly kites with Brady. When it began to get dark, Marty was found by Jane and quickly hurried home. Brady, in an attempt to defy his parents, decided to stay out late, and was killed by the werewolf.

In September, Marty is launching fireworks, given to him by Red, when he is attacked by the werewolf. Using a firerocket, Marty manages to blast out the werewolf's left eye.

After telling Jane and Red about his encounter, Jane goes on a bottle drive for the local Baptist church, where she discovers that the only one-eyed person in Tarker's Mills is Reverend Lester Lowe. After this, Marty begins sending Reverend Lowe letters telling him to kill himself. After telling him about the letters, Red becomes enraged. Later, Lowe attacks Marty with his car, although Marty manages to outrun him with the motorcycle/wheelchair built for him by Red. When he is trapped under a closed covered bridge, Lowe tells Marty that he killed Stella so that she could not kill herself and be condemned to hell, and, therefore, that he himself cannot commit suicide. Lowe also apologizes to Marty and tells him of his intentions to drown him in the river below before his plans are foiled by Elmer Zinneman, a passing farmer.

After finding evidence of this encounter, Red goes to tell Sheriff Joe Haller to investigate Lowe. Although Haller is extremely skeptical of Lowe, especially since Red told Haller about Marty's werewolf theory, he is desperate for a suspect and proceeds to investigate Lowe where he is killed by him.

After this Marty and Jane convince Red to make them a silver bullet. On Halloween, Red tricks Marty's parents into going on a romantic trip to New York City and volunteers to babysit the two children. That night, the werewolf attacks. Red fights off the werewolf, and although he is thrown into a cabinet and severely beaten, Red manages to stab the werewolf with a woodstove poker, hit it with a block of wood, protect the children, and avoid being killed. Marty shoots the werewolf with the silver bullet in the right eye, blinding and eventually killing him. The deceased werewolf transforms back into Reverend Lowe before their eyes.

References