The Shining: Isolation

Ok, here I am, writing my first (and long overdue) posting for The Shining. Like I've said previously, this was one of the first SK books that I have ever read. I liked it so much back when I was a kid, and am enjoying it just as much right now. It has never failed to scare the hell out of me.

What I would like to talk about today, is one of the dominant themes in the book: Isolation. This can be quite scary all on its own, and this theme does carry the story forward even without the supernatural aspects. Honestly, most of the story in the first half unfolds without much supernatural happening at all.

About isolation...the isolation of this story is both literal and emotional. The three characters in the story are all quite alone, even though they are physically together as a family. Danny is isolated because of his gift. He can see things that no one else can relate to or understand. He has been forced to move away from the few friends he had, because of his father's mistakes. The only "person" that he has much interaction with is Tony, his "imaginary friend" who has the tendency to just scare the shit out of him most of the time. Even when Danny's mother, Wendy, tries to relate to him, she doesn't seem able to connect to him in a real way. She loves him, as a mother should, but stops just short of being to really bond with him.

Wendy's isolation comes from her fear. She spends most of the time trying to love her family, but is always wrapped in fear about what is going to happen to them. Her husband, Jack, has been abusive to their son, has lost his job for beating a student, and is trying not to be a fall down drunk. Yet when thinking about leaving him, the thing that stops her is her fear of having to live with her mother. She also is afraid for (and of) her son, with his blackouts, and his seizures, and his odd ability to "know" things. And what keeps her isolated from both is also a strange jealousy that she has for her son's unflinching adoration of Jack, even with all his faults.

And lastly, Jack's isolation comes from his own failures. Jack is an alcoholic who has come quite close to ruining his life with his problem. He has a horribly bad temper, even when not drunk. His alcoholism really is not the root of his problems. His mental state is really the underlying problem, and his alcoholism only adds to that. And even when he tries to be a better man, he's got his wife there just waiting for him to screw up. So by the time they get to the Overlook Hotel, they are isolated state is only added to.

I have had many moments in my life where I have felt quite isolated. Sometimes even with plenty of people around me, I have felt completely alone. I think that we all go through moments like that. Luckily, I have a great set of friends, and a wonderful partner who all help me to not feel so isolated, but we all have our moments, right? As for physical isolation, it is one of my greatest fears. I have always been a "city boy". I don't like being too far off the beaten path, because I feel so cut off from the world when I do. Whenever I visit places that are in the middle of nowhere, I start thinking things like, "Who is their right mind lives out here?" Or I start hearing the dueling banjo theme in my head. But the ironic part is that sometimes when I am going about my regular life, I start to crave that isolation. While reading this book, I start to think about how nice it would be to be up in The Rockies with nothing but time on my hands, and the beautiful mountain air. But I know that if I was there, I would go insane.

Don't I just love being my own biggest contradiction.

Anyway, stay tuned. More to come shortly...