Jack Torrance (spoilers inside)

**DancingCorpse** · December 1st, 2009

Hi all.

I wanted to add to the discussion of this brilliant novel as there aren't too many threads!

I was wondering as to your thoughts on Jack.

Do you think that he was weak? Not as a character, of course, but as a person.

I know that's a bit of a strange question. But i myself cannot decide on my thoughts here.

On the one side, I feel extremely sorry for him, with all his terrible past under his abusive father and such. I understand how that can have devastating effects on a person - unrealised for a long time - as they mature and grow into what they become. And how difficult it is to figure it all out.

The alcohol problem was a mask to cover up how he truly felt inside and what demons he constantly struggled with. It only made things worse evidently, as if often the case with substance abuse. His anger goes hand in hand with his past and the out of control drinking habit, they fuelled eachother. What i find most disturbing about this book is how the entity of the Overlook stops at nothing to destroy this man through his weaknesses. The wasps nest is a great symbol of this. It represents so well, how a bad memory or habit can haunt you relentlessly, the moment you let your guard down, it can slip right back so quickly without warning. The whole novel is a fantastic reflection of internal torment.

The Shining is a tragic story, Jack only desired to finally reach that peace for himself and his family - to be a father and husband i guess. He's been off the wagon, attending AA and really trying to get everything into perspective and back on track, supporting his family. We can tell he loves Wendy and Danny, he is a good man. Which is why it is so effective when we see it all ending up in that terrible crescendo so soon after he had finally succumbed to the lowest point of his life. Talk about kicking someone when they are down!

He's not a villain, obviously, and it would be much easier to dislike him if that were the case. It's just a terrifying and terribly hard-hitting story, seeing him tormented all the way to his end like that, doomed to follow in his father's footsteps.

I understand the absolute evil he was faced with, the guy didn't stand much of a chance with the state his mind was in. Though, I still remain angry at Jack for letting the hotel get inside of him like that - without too much of a fight to be honest - and bring everything flooding back, transforming him into some hideous representation of the troubles of his past and destroying all of the hard work he'd paved to find that place.

If he cared so much for Danny and Wendy, he had the chances to escape. And i hate how he again let his family down. I suppose there was some redemption for him at the very end where he enabled Danny to escape, but taking his life was a last resort. I just feel so sad for him throughout.

I really cannot wait for King to begin writing the next part of this story. I hope we can see some more of Jack and maybe a little more insight into his tragic life and the effects it has on Danny. I know he was a good man inside, just trying to escape that hell and I hope we see that Danny recognises his father in this way and doesn't continue that terrible cycle in the next book.

**strange** · December 2nd, 2009

Hi Dancingcorpse I get what you mean, I find Jack's character very interesting as a character study. I recent wrote a review of The Shining for a site I work for and it I argued against the potray of the film which often stops so people dismissing The Shining where Jack is a fruitcake from the start. I came to the conclusion that everyone in the Overlook is fighting their own demons but with Jack I found he has mulitple ones. Acholoism, his feelings of letting down his family, the fact he's failed as a writer to live up to what he should be, the fact he doesn't want to turn into his father. I found writing it that as the novel goes on Jack's pushed further and further away from his family because of the house's effect on Danny and Wendy but also because if he leaves the Overlook, that's it. His life as a man and a provider he see's will be over. Going from a teaching job to a winter caretaker is a huge step down and I think he feels if he gives that up then what's left for him, especially as it's suppose to be such an easy job. Not to the mention the whole void between him and Wendy when she always smells him for alcohol he feels demeaning and a lack of trust as you'd expect. I think Jack is a strong man but at the same times he very fragile, it takes a while for the house to finally take him but even when it does I think it's the house that controls him up until the very end when of course Jack returns and saves them. Hopefully I don't sound to prententous and if I did please feel free to tell me to shut up

**DancingCorpse** · December 2nd, 2009

Not pretentious at all! Very good post and I agree with all of what you said. He is a fragile man who just needs a break, it's just terrifyingly ironic that when he finally gets the opportunity for recovery, it turns out to be in a psychotic hotel that wants his son!

I definitely agree with how he has constant stress from his wife and the haunting memory of so many things, how many of us can relate to this? You just want to start over but are continually reminded of your past mistakes. I think that it takes more strength sometimes to start over and build yourself back up, rather than continue on a collision course, and Jack should have realised this before it was too late. Maybe he had finally just had enough. It's a sad state of affairs either way.

I look forward to more thoughts on Jack!

**jcadams** · December 2nd, 2009

Well, I felt sorry for Jack. I know that the drinking and quick temper were his own fault, but his father did such a number on him!! Also, I couldn't understand why the older kids allowed the treatment of their mother to go on so long. Just trying to imagine what that would do to a kid Jack's age to see his mom go through that and wondered how much he actually understood?
As for the hotel, I think that he fought as long as he could for the sake of Danny and Wendy. But with the pressure to succeed at the job, finish the play and put up Wendy's nagging, I think he was overwhelmed.
Feel free to disagree with me, but wasn't Wendy's main job to be looking out for Danny? Why was she always napping instead of watching what Danny was up to? Was that the influence of the hotel on her?

**wally wonder** · December 3rd, 2009

what would have happened had they not gone to the overlook? like king lear, jack sees himself as a man more sinned against than sinning. but not always. did the overlook call to him? don't recall. was it a friend who arranged that job? i think that was it. nice how jack is described as being 'like a man who leaned around a corner and had seen an unexpected monster lying in wait.'

no, jack's not weak. he has weaknesses, and the overlook plays with those weaknesses.
you're our man, the overlook seems to be saying to him. jack wants to be someone's man. purpose. but there's the wasps. like ullman. even after he calls ullman, he questions why he did that. like he's losing control. and we know why, don't we? there's a line in there, 'he had not acted but had been acted upon.' so yeah, it's nice there at the end, escape danny, run, a moment of grace, or a moment of strength.

the movie w/jack nicholson was my introduction to sk. took awhile before i picked up the first book.

**DancingCorpse** · December 7th, 2009

That is a very good point, Jack now has a chance at a responsibility that he feels he can control, looking after the hotel at any cost. Again, this speaks on so many complex levels, the Overlook prays on weaknesses far beyond the surface, which could be seen to Jack in his disorientated and slightly insane train of though, he could view it as something positive, a strength, of wanting control by way of how the hotel has maipulated him. We also see this later on in Kubrick's adaptation too. Interesting!