The twist ending of “The Boogeyman” leaves plenty of room for interpretation. Do you believe the Boogeyman is a real monster, or a metaphor? Or do you think Lester Billings was the real Boogeyman all along? Support your argument with evidence from the text.

How would the story change if it were told in the first person by Lester in real time, rather than as a discussion of events that already transpired? How might the themes be affected? How might the characters change?

In addition to responding to current events, literature also often responds to other literature. What other works might Stephen King be responding to with this story? What was he adding to the conversation occurring in horror fiction at the time?