Queems

Queems is the manager of the Surf-Sand Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where Dick Hallorann works as a cook during the winter off-season. He appears only in the chapter "Florida" (Chapter 38), where his interaction with Hallorann serves as a crucial plot mechanism, enabling Hallorann's journey to rescue the Torrance family from the Overlook Hotel. Queems is characterized by a harried, business-first demeanor, a gambling habit that keeps him financially strained, and a superficial, performative sympathy for his black employees that reveals the racial dynamics of the era.

Identity and Role

Queems is introduced as a man who "was conversing with his bookie" when Hallorann enters his office, placing bets on a horse at Rockaway and on the Jets football game. His appearance is marked by "an eye that was still bloodshot from too many glances into last night's bourbon bottle," and he wears "a sheer yellow shirt" with a pack of Kents in the breast pocket. He is a man of small vices and limited authority, running a modest resort and wearing "suits with shiny seats" despite a salary that should afford better. His primary concern is the smooth operation of his business, and he is immediately resistant to Hallorann's request for three days off, citing a full house and the weekend rush. He pleads with Hallorann, "Take my watch, my wallet, my pension fund. Hell, you can even take my wife if you can stand the sharp edges. But please don't ask me for time off." This hyperbolic refusal establishes Queems as a manager who prioritizes operational efficiency over employee welfare, a trait that Hallorann must cleverly circumvent.

Manipulation and Deception

Hallorann, driven by the urgent psychic call from Danny Torrance, fabricates an elaborate story to secure his leave. He tells Queems that his son (a fictional son from a divorced wife) has been shot by a white truck driver and is in critical condition in a Denver hospital. To lend credibility to his lie, Hallorann has previously stopped at a Western Union office to swipe a blank telegram form, which he now flashes before Queems's eyes, claiming it is the message from his ex-wife. The deception works precisely because Queems's worldview is limited: he accepts the story without question, his face taking on "a peculiar tight expression of concern" that Hallorann recognizes as "as close to an expression of sympathy as a white man who thought of himself as 'good with the coloreds' could get." Queems's response is a mixture of reluctant permission and a performative, condescending kindness. He tells Hallorann, "I hope everything turns out, Dick. Call when you get word," and shakes his hand over the desk. Hallorann, in turn, offers to rebate his week's pay, a gesture Queems deflects with "We can talk about that later," revealing that his concern is genuine enough to forgo immediate financial compensation, yet shallow enough to be easily manipulated by a racial stereotype of the loyal, suffering black employee.

Narrative Significance

Queems's role is brief but structurally essential. He is the gatekeeper who must be bypassed for Hallorann to fulfill his narrative function as the rescuer. His gullibility and racial prejudice are the very tools Hallorann uses to escape, highlighting the theme of deception and survival that runs through the novel. Queems also serves as a foil to the more sinister forces of the Overlook: where the hotel uses supernatural manipulation to trap its victims, Queems is manipulated by a simple, human lie. His character underscores the mundane, everyday racism and class dynamics of the 1970s, providing a stark contrast to the supernatural horror of the Overlook. After Hallorann leaves, Queems is never seen again, his function complete once the cook is on his way to Colorado. The character is a flat, functional figure, built around the single idea of the harried, slightly bigoted manager who is easily outwitted, and he serves his purpose without any development or surprise.