Children of the Corn

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes references to graphic violence, death, horror themes, and religious fanaticism.

Ambiguity is woven into the fabric of “Children of the Corn,” beginning with the moment Burt and Vicky hit a young boy with their car. Although they initially assume the collision was fatal, a closer look at the body reveals that the boy’s throat was cut before he ran into the road and collided with their car. Although the narrative later implies that the boy met his fate at the hands of his murderous peers, the circumstances of his death ultimately remain ambiguous and open to interpretation.

Because the boy is much younger than the cult’s mandated sacrificial age of 19, it cannot be assumed that he was fleeing a traditional blood sacrifice to He Who Walks Behind the Rows. This detail—along with the fact that the specifics of his murder are never revealed—invites speculation as to who wanted the boy dead and why. These questions are never answered, creating ambiguity that runs through the story and remains.

Ambiguity also resurfaces with the introduction of the cult of He Who Walks Behind the Rows.