The Shining

by

Stephen King

The proprietor of the gas station in Sidewinder. Hallorann goes to Durkin’s station to rent a snowmobile the night Danny uses the shining to call Hallorann to the Overlook Hotel to save Danny and Wendy from the hotel and Jack’s murderous rage. Durkin doesn’t like anything to do with the hotel, which has a bad reputation in Sidewinder, and he is suspicious of Hallorann; however, when Hallorann mentions Howard Cottrell’s name, Durkin changes his mind. He rents Hallorann a snowmobile and gives Hallorann his heavy parka and a ski-mask. Durkin says that Hallorann must “know things” the way Howard does and now believes Danny really is in trouble. Larry Durkin’s belief in Hallorann and Howard Cottrell’s ability to “shine” and see the future underscores King’s argument that people really can shine—in the form of intuition and instinct—and it is important to pay attention to such power.
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Larry Durkin Character Timeline in The Shining

The timeline below shows where the character Larry Durkin appears in The Shining. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 49: Hallorann, Going Up the Country
Precognition, Second Sight, and the Shining Theme Icon
...to the gas station by the library. He tells Hallorann to show the proprietor, Larry Durkin, the gloves and tell him that Howard sent him. That way, Hallorann can get a... (full context)
Precognition, Second Sight, and the Shining Theme Icon
Time Theme Icon
...like Howard said, the roads up Sidewinder pass are closed, so Hallorann looks for Larry Durkin’s gas station. Suddenly, he smells oranges and a message comes through, loud and clear, warning... (full context)
Chapter 51: Hallorann Arrives
Precognition, Second Sight, and the Shining Theme Icon
Time Theme Icon
Larry Durkin, a man guy with red hair, is just closing his gas station when Hallorann arrives.... (full context)
Precognition, Second Sight, and the Shining Theme Icon
Isolation and Insanity Theme Icon
Hallorann tells Larry Durkin that the caretaker’s son is in trouble, and Durkin asks if Hallorann is talking about... (full context)
Precognition, Second Sight, and the Shining Theme Icon
Isolation and Insanity Theme Icon
Durkin says he hopes Danny is alright, and helps Hallorann push the snowmobile outside. He gives... (full context)