MovieChat Forums > The Shining (1980) Discussion > A theory about Jack’s novel (spoilers)

A theory about Jack’s novel (spoilers)

posted 7 months ago by tph890 (484)
6 replies | jump to latest

Not sure if this theory has already been discussed, so I thought I’d ask and see what others think, because I used to think that the reveal of him typing the same sentence over and over was meant to show that he was never trying to write a book, he was just trying to avoid his family (while also stewing in his anger and resentments, which leads to his eventual homicidal psychopathic explosion).
But on my most recent rewatch, I started to wonder if maybe, in his mind, he was actually writing a coherent novel, and that the ‘Shine’ of the hotel actually fooled him into thinking that he was indeed producing a masterwork.
Then Wendy comes along and actually ‘reads’ the thing, and sees it for what it really is (also revealing it for us—the audience). It’s the same sentence over and over, but that’s not what Jack saw or believed it was.
Any thoughts?

[–] Otter (24464) 7 months ago

My theory is that he started writing for real, hit writer's block, and then kept typing because he didn't want to tell Wendy. She was an annoying person and he didn't want to deal with her any more than necessary, and he definitely didn't want her trying to be sympathetic or helpful, so he just sat at his desk typing away and feeling more and more angry and frustrated, and re-directing more and more of his self-recrimination and self-hatred outwards at Wendy. Because being a Great Writer was part of his core identity, he couldn't admit his failure to himself or to his wife, so he got into a state of mind where he'd believe ANYTHING rather than that he was failing to write the book that would change his life.

And this, of course, is what made him so vulnerable to the Influences at the Overlook, his psyche was teetering on the edge. So if my theory has any validity, I don't think those Influences made him deluded about what he was writing... but perhaps they had some role in the writer's block.

[–] tph890 (484) 7 months ago

I don’t know…
It feels like the hotel got a hold of Jack from very “first” time he was there, at the interview, where he mentions his writing project to Ullman (I always got really weird, sinister supernatural vibes from Ullman).
Maybe the hotel took advantage of that piece of Jack’s psyche.
The writer’s block aspect that you propose definitely makes sense because the first time we see him writing, he isn’t even writing, he’s just throwing a ball around, avoiding his family under the guise of ‘working’.
But later, when he starts to actually type out words on paper, he seems genuinely engaged, and then we are given a snippet of him staring blankly into nothing (with the ‘Shine’ music playing, implying that the Overlook is affecting him) which brings on a whole slurry of new implications.
So maybe it could be that his process of typing that sentence indeed began as a path towards defeating his writer’s block, but also we are shown that the Overlook can manifest hallucinations that influence the actions of its inhabitants.
And I think that one of those hallucinations we are never explicitly shown, but can infer, is the novel that Jack really thought he was writing, even though it was just a single sentence repeated in varying forms (to keep his body occupied while the Overlook slowly took control of his mind).
He saw the book/work as something real and valid, just as he thought the bartender Lloyd was real, and such.

[–] CaldoTheKid (308) 5 months ago

There was a deleted scene after the ending where Ullman visits Wendy & Danny in hospital, explaining Jack's body hasn't been recovered, he also gives Danny the ball which led him entering room 237 implying Ullnan is more than just the manager/owner.

[–] CalvinJarrett (258) 5 months ago

I wonder why they did not include that scene. Must've been that they did not want to discard the theory that it was all in Jack's head, a victim of cabin fever. But I always thought the Ullman role was a waste of veteran actor Barry Nelson's talents. Perhaps he took the part because of that final scene and was disappointed when it was edited from the final cut?

[–] tph890 (484) 5 months ago

I’m glad that scene was shot, but also glad that it was deleted.
I like the film as is, and the ending slow-zoom into the photo is just lovely, but knowledge of this sequence affirms my feelings of Ullman’s creepiness.

[–] fortrus (79) 5 months ago

i really like this theory. He just lost it at a certain point, that's for sure.