Stephen King, “It” is one of his works that has most marked his career. It is a story that had an adaptation in a 90s miniseries, and recently a two-part film adaptation. Despite representing this story, there are some details that do not have answers; neither in the book, nor on the small or big screen. However, a theory finally seems to solve the meaning of the balloons in ‘It’.
Despite seeking to adapt this book twice, it has not been possible to show everything that is in King’s work, since this story goes beyond a clown that devours fears. This story is also closely linked to macrocosm and the fight with the famous cosmic turtle, something that has not been fully portrayed in the adaptations and that gives an answer to many questions.
Despite the fact that this book seems to answer the story, there are details that were not explained, but a recent theory seems to resolve the meaning of the balloons in ‘It’, claiming that these red balloons are the personification of the famous “lights of death” and this has to do with the idea of the poor understanding of humans.
According to this story, in the end the protagonists fights against a “spider”. However, since the mind cannot conceive it’s true form, it associates it with a spider, being it’s closest form. The case of the balloons is very similar, they cannot conceive the lights of death and so it is associated with a red balloon.
This theory seems to answer the question that Stephen King and his adaptations did not answer , but seems quite logical. In addition to giving an answer to the famous phrase “everyone floats”, affirming that souls live inside these “balloons” within the entity.
