Just finished The Shining : A few questions I have :

[Edinlake]

Hello everyone, it's my first post, but I just finshed my reading of The Shining and I loved it. But I do have a few questions. These questioned havent been addressed and I guess they may seem a little deep but any of the insight I can get would be appreicated.

1. What is your opinion on Jack Torance's beating of George Hatfield? Granted, George did not do a very nice thing but when you physically harm a student and as the book said possibly gave him a concussion. My question is why wasn't Jack sued? I mean it said George's father was a laywer and I would think as a lawyer the father would have sued Jack to pay for the medical bills. What George did was awful but you cant put your hands on someone and not expect consequences.

2. This im very curious about, and I dont understand it one bit. When Hallorann is rushing to the airport he gets pulled over by the cop who says something to the effect of I can never report the drivers registration so let me peek and you can blow me up a big balloon... Was this a sexual thing being asked? And it really did confuse me. I had to read the page a couple of times and still didnt get it.

3. My last question is if all the phone lines were expected to go out, what was keeping the lights on? It said most of the lines go down every winter, but what do you think was keeping the lights burning all winter? Were they battery operated or what?

Thanks for all your insight and I look forward to being a part of this message board. : )

[Rand]

1 - Unless it serves a purpose to the story, a character in a novel isn't likely to get hit with a civil suit for his actions. We might as well ask why Spiderman doesn't get sued by people who get hit with debris caused by one of his fights. In fiction, things are sometimes left out so the story can be told.

2 - Nope, not sexual. Blowing up the balloon was referring to checking his breath alcohol levels.

3 - Good question. I live in a place where utility lines are buried underground due to frequent excessive storm activity. It's mentioned by the manager that the telephone lines are still above ground, which I think implies that other lines aren't, and you do need that power to make the thermostats work.

[GNTLGNT]

1. IMO, that was background story, without being "deep" background if you catch my meaning-it could have been delved into-but would have detracted from the actual storyline...
2. Yeah, I always thought there was more than a touch of the infamous SK gross-out going on in that exchange...
3. In a resort hotel of the caliber and magnitude of the Overlook, and being where it is geographically-there would be huge generators to keep the lights on and services available...have to keep the guests happy ya know-whether alive or dead...

[Edinlake]

I have another question I forgot to mention. Who are the Overlook ghosts? Are they actual spirits, or personas of people who once stayed there? Like for example Derwent is at the party but as far as I know the book mentions him as among the living.

[catnoel]

The spirits are actual events or people that have resided at the Overlook.

[Edinlake]

Hey everyone once again. I'm really sorry, that I didnt get all my quesitons out in one book (I proise though for the next book ill get it all out on what post) but I do have one last question. In the final chapter, right before part 5 of Matters Of Life And Death Danny goes into the ballroom and puts the key into the clock which seems to speed up the events that take place in part 5. What is the significance of that scene? And I promise that's the last question I have. Just dont vote me off of the forum, lol.

[Cyrus Wraith Walker]

I wanted to put my two cents in on your first question. It is indeed reasonable to wonder why there wasn't legal or criminal consequences mentioned, but keep in mind that The Shining, was written in 1977. Teachers at universities and at grade schools got away with a lot more then they do today. Presently, every single action a teacher takes is under constant scrutiny. This was not so 33 years ago. As far as civil actions, who knows maybe that is also why the Torrence family was so broke.

Sincerely,

Cyrus Wraith Walker

[stevohump]

I just enjoyed the story...sorry

[motocop]

I think the significance of the clock and key was only for Danny to see the figures come out. I cant quite remember if he saw the dancing people or his dad beating him with the mallet. Also as a way for him to meet with Tony one last time. I could be way off, though thats how I took it.

[guido tkp]

1) as a lawyer, who can afford to send his kid to a private school, hatfields dad 'made a deal', one that included jacks position, and probably got free tuition, and his name on a plaque. since his kid did, in fact, commit a criminal act, he would've been looking for a payback that got all of it swept under the rug and achieved certain 'goals' of retribution. but, another poster was quite correct, that would've taken up way too much space in an already bulky novel that neede to move on.

2) while not worded quite well, i, too, took it as a d.u.i. reference: he was trying to speed up the process, he had no papers and was owning up to it: write me the ticket, already, i'm in a hurry. if you need to bust my balls, do it some other time, please

3) if they had power lines underground, why not run the phone lines there, too...?
methinks that it would be either generators (unmentioned) or some similar function that runs through/from the boiler.

4) the ghosts/spirits/haunts are just that, much like the same in 'poltergeist', we really do not know, there's always room for speculation (as in any well-made tale of this type), but they are kept at that site by the powers that be, and won't be released until some drastic change occurs. it doesn't really matter what type they are (that is just nitpicking, i think), just that they are

5) any time danny gets involved, things will happen quicker, speed up, with more robustness: he is a 220 amp, while jack is a measly, used nine volt battery.

danny is what it wants, jack is a tool.