Needful Things

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains descriptions of cruelty to animals, murder, violence, domestic abuse, and discussions of addiction.

Wilma, who is prone to anger does not know that her husband Pete anticipates her evil moods and drugs her tea with Xanax in order to make her less angry. He secures the Xanax prescriptions by telling his doctor that he has work-related anxiety. Now that Wilma has become overwhelmed by her response to Nettie, Pete drugs her tea again. He considered asking Wilma to get her own prescription, but he suspects that she enjoys being angry.

Wilma drives to Nettie’s house and looks at Nettie through the window. Meanwhile, Nettie is afraid to go outside because Wilma is waiting for her. She fears that Wilma will break her new carnival glass lampshade, so she hides the lampshade in her shed, feeling very paranoid that someone will steal it or break it. She even calls in sick to work so that she can guard her lampshade.

Intrigued visitors arrive at Needful Things to peruse the new inventory. Mr. Gaunt has a new sign that reads, “I do not issue refunds or make exchanges. Caveat emptor!” (211). Sally Ratcliffe buys the splinter from Noah’s Ark; in exchange, she agrees to play a prank on Frank Jewett, the principal of the middle school.