By Kevin Arriola
The Shining by Stephen King is a suspenseful novel that takes you into the troubled lives of the Torrance family just as it turned into a debacle.
The main characters of the book are Jack, his wife Wendy and his five-year old boy Danny. Danny has a wizz to comprehend everything that goes on and is “self reliant for a five year old,” as his father would say.
Jack finds himself in an interview to be the caretaker of the hotel over the winter because he had trouble controlling his temper and had assaulted a boy named George Hatfield leading to the loss of his previous job.
The couple feel like it’s a great opportunity for their family to become closer and remain harmonious as well as to help Jack get back on track with his part time of job of writing novels.
Danny has an imgaginary friend named Tony, who “shows [him] things that are going to happen,” says Danny. However the troubling part is, who is Tony and why does he keep showing Danny scary thoughts periodically?
Halloran, a participant of the shining, tries testing Jack and Wendy but no result. However he quickly bonds with Danny due to their mutual shining, he remarks, “You shine on boy. Harder than anyone I’ve ever met.” .Danny’s parents are not ignorant to inderstand Danny’s gift but do not make an effort to explain to Danny what the knack he has really is, it but Halloran does. “I’ve always called it the shining,” he points out.
Once only the Torrance family are left alone to stay enclosed by the winter ongoing storm is when it seems everything is beginning to get better between Wendy and Jacks’s marriage, then the Overlook comes alive and begins to affect those with the Shining.
The Overlook begins by getting inside all of the Torrance family’s minds and bringing out their fears and weaknesses mostly those with the shine who concludes being Danny, and surprisingly Jack. It only gets stronger as time goes by.
The novel reveals Jack shines very strongly in the Overlook and notices everything that Danny sees because when Danny gets attacked by topiary animals which come alive and he’s finally in the indoors he tries explaining himself to Jack and mom but only Jack understands. Then Danny assures to his father, “You know because you saw,” and then Jack strikes him, in that very moment it is clear Jack is not in control but the hotel is because he broke his promise that he wouldn’t hit Danny anymore.
The novel didn’t go as it had proposed: a loving family spending a winter together and growing closer to one another.
Interestingly how the Overlook got to the Jack’s heart was by telling him the people he loved were holding him back and now he had to make sure they were deealt with. So he assures, “I will.” Twice. The anger within him was now in control and not his heart.
Though Halloran shows up once more because of young Danny’s call, his arrival isn’t too important because he is quickly taken out by Jack and then Jack continues his rampage.
However, as Jack goes after his son in the last chapter of the book he manages to rise out of “the thing” one last time and says to his boy, “Doc. Run away. Quick. And remember how much I love you.”
Here Stephen King makes his novel assert the idea that nothing can get in the way of the relationship of a son and his father. Even the evils of the Overlook were not powerful enough. Jack was still able to pierce through the spirit of the hotel and give his son the last words from the bottom of his heart.
A real heartwarming scene! After Danny is rescued, months later, still resents his father’s death because he misses him inmensely. No one could fill that whole not even his loving mother. The author really makes the connection between the heart of the reader and the theme of the book.
