Synopsis:
The Shining is a Stephen King classic
that’s getting some new attention in recent weeks because of the release of a
sequel, Doctor Sleep, 2014. The
Shining was originally released thirty-seven years ago, but it has been
popular ever since. A film version came
out in 1980, directed by Stanley Kubrik, and quickly became a classic in its
own right. As the story goes, a man
named Jack Torrence accepts a job as a caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. The hotel is not used during the snowy months
of the winter, so a caretaker is needed to watch over the hotel during these
months. Since no one is able to drive to
or from the hotel after the snow comes, the caretaker is stranded for the
season. Jack takes his wife, Wendy, and
his son, Danny, with him for the season.
Jack is a recovering alcoholic and has trouble controlling his temper,
but he has quit drinking, and things are looking up with this new job. Danny is described as having some ability to
see visions, which seem to be visions of what may be coming. When they arrive at the hotel, the chef, Dick
Holloran, shows them around and recognizes Danny’s ability to see/hear what
others are thinking. He calls it the “shining”
and explains to Danny privately that he has it too. He tells Danny that if he needs help, he
should give him a mental message so that he can help.
As the
winter goes, things begin to go wrong, as any reader would predict. Jack is either being tormented by ghosts, or
he is slipping into insanity, or both.
The ghosts turn him against his family, and things go horribly
wrong. Horror ensues. To avoid spoiling the suspense and the
remaining story, this would be a good place to stop.
Appeal --
Characteristics of Horror:
Pacing – The
Shining has unpredictable scary moments for Jack, Danny, and the reader. Danny may just be looking at a wall when
suddenly he gets the image of blood or dead bodies. Jack will be going about his business when a
ghost will spark up a conversation. The
pacing for these events is erratic; there is no subtle build up like a reader
may find in a suspense novel (Sarick 119).
Characterization
– Jack Torrence fits the bill for the typical character of the horror novel:
“They are usually haunted, shattered individuals or in some way vulnerable;
these are people who are out of control.
There are not many happy-go-lucky characters in Horror fiction” (Sarick
118). Jack is a character that is
vulnerable because of his alcoholism, and that is used by the evil
spirits/influences to manipulate him. He
is haunted both literally and figuratively by his past and his own relationship
with ish father, and he becomes “out of control” as the story goes on.
Story Line –
Like most horror novels, The Shining does not follow a traditional or
predictable plot line. This specifically
refers to the ending where things are left someone unresolved, unlike romances
and mysteries, where the endings are always predictable. Horror fans understand that they may be left
with the horror not being completely eliminated. The Shining ends with a main character’s
death but with some hope for the others.
Horror books leave things unresolved as if the author is planning a
sequel, but horror authors don’t traditionally write sequels; that’s a
relatively new trend (Shmoop).
Tone/Mood – The
atmosphere of the abandoned hotel added to the fact that there is no way out
until spring, is one of isolation and terror.
Leaving the building would result in freezing to death. Staying http://www.shmoop.com/shining-stephen-king/ending.htmlcould
result in much more horrific events, also ending in death. It’s a no-win situation.
Frame/Setting
– As stated on p. 115 of Sarick, “… Horror is populated by monsters of some
kind, and they are usually supernatural.”
That holds true in The Shining, with the supernatural influence being
the prevalence of ghosts and ghostly images throughout. The book also contains “graphic images” that
Sarick includes as an essential element of the frame/setting of a horror story.
Style/Language
– The Shining uses profanity and
violent descriptions like most horror novels, but not near as prevalent as
many. Horror novels are “rich in
adjectives and descriptions” (Sarick 117), and The Shining is no exception.
Even though Stephen King is known for using many contemporary references
to pop culture (rock music, for example), this is very limited in The Shining, giving the readers the
sense that they are experiencing the world that the characters are living in,
which includes frequent flashbacks to the past.
Read-alikes:
Ghost Story – Peter Straub
Interview With the Vampire – Anne Rice
Intensity – Dean Koontz
Works
Cited
Sarick, Joyce G. The
Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. 2nd ed. Chicago:
American Library Association, 2009. Print.
Shmoop
Editorial Team. "The Shining Ending Page 1." Shmoop.com.
Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 28 June 2014.
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