Needful Things

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains descriptions of graphic violence, homicide, suicide, attempted suicide, domestic abuse, child loss, sexual abuse of a child, and addiction.

Polly Chalmers’s amulet, which she initially believes to be an Egyptian azka, serves as a powerful symbol of both desire and manipulation, embodying the novel’s broader themes of temptation, personal weakness, and the cost of greed. Polly, who has debilitating arthritis, is lured into Mr. Gaunt’s shop by the promise of relief from her chronic pain. Gaunt provides her with an amulet that miraculously alleviates her symptoms, and the amulet therefore represents Polly’s deepest longing: freedom from her pain and the chance to reclaim her sense of normalcy. However, like all the items sold in Needful Things, the amulet comes with a hidden cost. It is a tool that Gaunt uses to control Polly, compelling her to carry out “pranks” on his behalf. The relief that the azka provides is temporary at best, dependent upon Polly’s willingness to accede to Gaunt’s influence, and in this way, the object illustrates the insidious nature of his bargains.

Unlike many of her neighbors, Polly finds the strength to question the nature of her chosen item, and she rebels against Mr.