The evolution of the main character through the dialogues

between Jack with his mother

How is the evolution of the main character, Jack, evidenced by the direct
motivational dialogue with his mother in the context of captivity in the book
Room by Emma Donoghue?

English B HL

Category 3

Word count: 3845

 CONTENT
INTRODUCTION 3

CHAPTER I: BEFORE 4

1.1 Jack and his mother at the beginning of the story 5

1.2 The intimate relationship with his mom and lies 6

CHAPTER II: IN THE PROCESS OF THE CHANGE 7

2.1 Time to face the real world with his mother help 8

2.2 Dialogues about unknown things and how he became an average boy 9

CHAPTER III: AFTER 10

3.1 The acceptance of reality11

3.2 Living Outside 12

CONCLUSIONS 13

REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 14

 INTRODUCTION

This book “The Room” narrates about the tragic part of the life of a child Jack, the main

character and his mother .He is only five years old. Jack was born in a room and brought

up in a room .he has never gone out because his mother was kidnapped by Old Nick, (the

man who visits them every night) the child lives in a room with his mom, with a normal

daily routine, in a setting where at any moment he can see his mom all day. His mom

has created a structured, lively regimen for Jack, with different activities. He is a smart boy

due Ma has taught to write and read, He believes that " The Room" is the only place that

exits in the world and that everything he watches on television is not true is imaginary .

So that is why Jack´s mom wants to get out of that Room for that reason Ma uses Jack to

create a plan to escape. Jack pretends to be dead and escapes when Old Nick (the

kidnapper) tries to bury him.

When Jack is out of that room, Jack's world is very different it’s the real world where we

live in, but it's the world he has never seen before, streets, cars people, houses, parks,

malls, buildings, but for Jack, it's all new. The aim of my essay is to demonstrate: How is

the evolution of the main character, jack, evidenced by the direct motivational dialogue

with his progenitor in the context of captivity in the book “Room” by Emma Donoghue?

When he had to face the world and adapt to it and face the fairs that arise in front of the

unknown, his mother was the one who helped him.

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 CHAPTER I: BEFORE

Jack has never left the small room before. The child, who is the storyteller is the

product of a violation and his father called Old Nick is at the same time the

kidnaper of him and his mother during 7 years. But Jack didn’t know anything

about his reality, even he thought that only that exist in the room is real, and the

things outdoor are not real from his perspective.

It is there that the problems begin for Jack and his mother. The child does not

recognize another home than the room, so while his mother is very happy to have

left that room and finally be free, Jack misses his "home" (the room) and all that it

represents for him. He feels strange and unconnected to the world and although

the world wants to include him, he doesn't have the elements to do it. The

changeover stimulating him, everything scares him, everything that exists in the

real world, and he does not socialize like other children of his age, when he is

anxious he counts his teeth with his tongue again and again. Everything is difficult

for little Jack his mother sees the difficulties of her son Jack. Jack's mom feels

overwhelmed she wants to help her son adapt to the world.

At the end, Jack understood about the real things and he accepts all that he could

see and he becomes a boy with a new perspective due he try to form part of the

society, even at the end He left the place that he never wanted to leave, the

Room.

1.1 Jack and his mother at the beginning of the story

At the beginning, Jack grew in a warm atmosphere created for his mother, such as

a normal boy however he has never seen the world that exist outside. But he

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knows some songs and other things about the real world, this is evidenced in

“While we’re eating we play Hum...I guess Macarena and she’ll Be Coming Round

the Mountain…So my score is two, I get two kisses” (Donoghue, 2010, p. 7).

Clearly, he knew about the modern songs, it due to the fact that he and his mother

watching television for that they aware about the things that happen in the real

world through games with modern music but he didn’t know that exist life outside

the room. Likewise, she used to make a routine everyday where include some

activities of physical exercises, which is reflected in “For Phys Ed we leave our

socks off because bare feet are grippier…When you were four it was eighteen

steps wasn’t it? Says ma” (Donoghue, 2010, p. 18). They ran around the little

Room and even they practiced yoga to keep the mind busy and don’t think about

their captivity, however Jack didn’t realize that because his mom encloses him in a

protective bubble through cute games and daily routines.

In this part of the story, is evidenced the deplorable conditions that they had in the

Room and how his mother does the impossible for Jack’s welfare, for example:

“Let’s ask for a new book for sundaytreat” (Donoghue, 2010, p. 40). In the book,

Sundaystreat is a day where they can ask something material to Old Nick with the

condition that they behave properly and don’t cause any problem, Jack thought

that Old Nick is a rude man and he feel suspicion, fear when he visited them

“Jack: Men aren’t real except Old Nick, and I’m not actually sure if he’s real for

real. Maybe half? He brings groceries and Sundaytreat and disappears the trash,

but he’s not human like us” (Donoghue, 2010, p. 22). Clearly he didn’t feel

comfortable when Old Nick is near to them, despite that he was his dad, but they

have never seen one of each other face to face due at night when Old Nick came

back to Room, Jack always went to sleep in the Wardrobe, it is evidenced in “I run

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into Wardrobe and lie down on my pillow and wrap up in Blanket” (Donoghue,

2010, p. 31). This is just before Old Nick arrived, also is an order of his mother for

that Old Nick doesn’t hurt him or sees how the bad man mistreats her. At last, in

the narrative show the contempt that feels Old Nick toward his son Jack without

having even known him, that is to say with the complete abandonment of the role

of father, but his mother did it. Consequently this didn’t affect to Jack although it

causes doubt and fear.

Assimilating with the tragic story of this mother that suffer violence for Old Nick,

where we can affirm that Jack’s mother always try to introduce to his son to their

real situation in the room through symbols like the painting of Guernica due it

represent violent acts toward innocent civilians that are difficult to understand.

Thus his amazing capacity of learning of Jack considering that he never went to

the kinder make that things that will come forward easier to understand. Also there

is a huge positive influence by the mother in the intellectual development and the

quality of life of the child.

1.2 The intimate relationship with his mom and lies

Jack knows his mother very well, when she is scared or when she talks in a

serious way, for that reason they have an intimate relationship, but his mom try to

avoid some questions about the real things or real situations, it is evidenced in this

quote: “Nothing makes Ma scared. Except Old Nick maybe. Mostly she calls him

just him” (Donoghue, 2010, p. 14). From Jack’s point of view there is something

strange and mysterious with Old Nick because Jack is aware about his mother’s

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expressions of fear when she refers to him or to his coming at night. Even his

mother has to ask in Sundaystreat the painkillers try to calm her frustrations about

the horrible life that she lives: “MOM: Well, last week we needed painkillers. I

didn’t need any, just you, I shout” (Donoghue, 2010, p. 28). Here, Jack express his

disagreement because his cake didn’t have candles due to his mother always ask

to Old Nick painkillers in order to sleep well, but she didn’t tell anything about her

suffer to her son for the simple reason that he was an innocent child and how a

mother feels that she has to take care to her son emotionally. Also in the most of

the cases she tried to avoid some questions like: “Jack: Would it hurt? Would what

hurt? If he saw me. No no. Go to sleep now Ma tells me” (Donoghue, 2010, p. 32).

In this case his mother didn’t answer to him because she has known that Old Nick

could damage Jack as he hasn’t scruples about hitting anyone and he has been

doing it to her for 7 years and Jack knew about “The marks on her neck are like

when I’m painting with beet juice. I think the marks are Old Nick’s fingerprints”

(Donoghue, 2010, p. 69). For that we can conclude that Jack at his age knew

about his mother’s frustration even if his mother tries to protect him in a bubble of

harmony, he knows the evil exists in humans and the defense they create to

protect to themselves and the people who love.

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 CHAPTER II: IN THE MIDDLE/PROCESS OF THE CHANGE

The facts were presented, Jack’s mother give to her son, some revelations about

the reality, and she induce him in her plans for the great scape, but at the

beginning he didn’t understand, is how to say one day is black and the next day is

white, opposing concepts. But his mother start to tell him about the circumstances

that they are living, and she asks him for help. And this fact is only the beginning

of the evolution of Jack, the main character in perceive the real things that exist in

the world, and he is so afraid at the first because he doesn’t know anything about

what will happen in the future, only he has his mother.

However with the pass of the days, he is aware that there are others living beings

and with help of the dialogues with his mother, families members and friends is

how he start a new experience, due they show him how work the “Outside” , the

rules, the bounds, preferences and exist more good things than a SundayStreat,

or a predictable routine, and he lets slowly the feeling of stay in his only

comfortable place Room in that back then.

2.1 Time to face the real world with his mother help

However, one day Jack’s mother start to tell to Jack about the reality, which

revelations that born from curiosity: “Listen. What we see on TV is… it´s pictures

of real things” (Donoghue, ROOM, 2010, pág. 73). This revelation create a conflict

because Jack didn’t imagined that answer, such as first impression he didn’t

believe, and he make himself too many questions about all the things that he saw

in the television and he thinking that they’re so flat, but his mother give him some

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answers in order he known about all of the real world, for example when he thinks

that Dora is real, she explains that Dora is just a drawing and the stories like

mermaid; she told him: “They’re magic, they’re not about real people…So they’re

fake?... No, no, Stories are a different kind of true” (Donoghue, ROOM, 2010, pág.

88). For that, he began to have a knowledge of things that exist outside through

conversation with his mother.

After, he knew about the things that are real, his mother told him more truths like

her past, this origin the plan of their great escape it is evidenced: “Can they come

here sometime for real?...I wish they could, she says” (Donoghue, ROOM, 2010,

pág. 112).Jack refers to his Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Paul (they are their

family that he never saw), due to the previous day his mother told him about her

family where he didn’t want to accept that his life had a big relation with the things

that happen in the television, but according to that his mother and he try to

generate a way to scape of the room, is where come up “<Sick, Truck, Hospital,

Police, Save Ma>”, however Jack is scared because his mother will be in Room,

and not with him, but she tried to convince telling that he will enjoy the world so

much and for that he has to be the Super Jack like in the fairytales, who will be the

isolation output.

2.2 Dialogues about unknown things and how he became an average boy

Jack since the first time could recognize the reality when he was wrapped in the

carpet and over the truck, is thanks to the dialogues with his mother and his

intelligence, however he wanted to come back to the Room, after the scape. Even

he wants to do the same routine in Outside when they were in the hospital for their

recuperation: “Breakfast comes before bath…We don’t have to do the things as

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we used to, says ma, we can do what we like” (Donoghue, ROOM, 2010, pág.

213), where is clearly seen the psychological support due she tries to involve with

the new things that they can do freely and as she said like a bird. However they

had to stay in a clinic where is similar to a jail according to Jack, but with the pass

of the days he start to known animals, flowers and his grandma and others family

members, also he consider such as friends to some nurses and doctors thanks to

the constant interaction that started with: “Mom: Jack, he’s asking you a question”

(Donoghue, ROOM, 2010, pág. 241). Again his mother incentive to Jack for that

gives a chance to the wonders of the world like the interaction with others, have

new experiences each day that is not limited in a space of 11 feet by 11 feet.

Furthermore, Jack started thinking about the others, it is evidenced when many

people gave him some presents with letters of admiration, then he take the

presents and gave his toys to ick Kids, in the first instance he didn’t want, but his

mother urge him to donate and he could have one, however he decided donate all

without telling to his mother. This change is due to the constants small scolding by

his mother: “there’s other people next door, remember, and you’re disturbing

them” (Donoghue, ROOM, 2010, pág. 238). Now, Jack is aware about the

existence of other real beings and is not only he and his mother, how he thought in

the beginning, now he has to put himself in the place of the other as a quality of

the human being in a society, he shows his generous heart and his sociable side.

Jack is marvel at the beauty of nature, for the diversity of flowers that he can

smell, the incredible of the airplanes and cars, and he tries to understand now, that

he and his mother don’t have to share all the things necessarily, due each one has

their own things, which cost him, but he does it for the comfort of his mother. Also

he is aware that not all people will accept him like his grandpa, but he known that

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he is not a mistake, because he was the light in a moment of a total darkness of

his mother, is it evidenced in the interview for a television program: “Ma: …for me,

see, Jack was everything. I was alive again” (Donoghue, ROOM, 2010, pág. 291).

Always his main support for endure with the harsh reality was his mother. He

gradually try to understand how the things in the world function and he adapt to

the new reality.

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 CHAPTER III: AFTER

Jack’s mother enter again into depression after some questions of the interview for

a television program about her complicated situation in Room during 7 years, it

made her thinks a lot of, that she could give to Jack a better life, so she wanted to

commit suicide.

While his mother was in the hospital, Jack’s grandma took Jack to her house,

where he starting to go out without his mother’s help, and discover some rules and

bounds with experiences by himself, all that time he could get used to the world for

start a new life with his mother setting goals, where both are their supports for

themselves and the most important enjoy each moment learning and trying new

things.

3.1 The acceptance of reality

At the end of the story, Jack shows a greater security due he could to be

separated from his mother for a long time and he learned new things about a

normal life in the outside, for example how the nature could damage him, is

evidenced when the sun burn his skin and the bee that stung him, during this

process he learned that he has to be more careful , if he wants to explore the

outside, and even he made a list of rules that he had to follow due he doesn’t

remember: “Human and bees should just wave, no touching…no running across

roads, no touching private parts except mine in private” (Donoghue, ROOM, 2010,

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pág. 341). He is learning from his actions, like everybody has to face the

consequences of bad things. Also he learn about the bounds, because Jack

started to show feelings such as he huge to strange people at any moment of

happiness, however he understand in a quickly way that is not allowed to huge to

anybody without knowing or without a preview consent, also he knows that

someone cannot take out something of a store without paying, and he started to

aware that there are similar things everywhere , even the names could repeat

because exist millions and millions of people in the world that need or want the

same thing, like his book of Dylan.

Jack is adapting to the society which belongs, for example when he cut his long

hair due many people thought that he was a girl, and he wanted to look such

others boys and consequently feel part of the world and achieve their goals in their

new lives. Even, he has a favorite place in the world that is near to any window

due from this place he can see what happen with the people outside, also he

behaves like a normal child. Then, here we can realize Jack’s evolution because

at the beginning was a shy and selfish boy to be a sociable and emphatic boy with

many dreams and goals, and all thanks to the unconditional help and patience of

his mother. Jack is still confused about lots things of Outside but he thinks is

something normal, due to each day should be a lesson for the life.

3.2 Living Outside

When Jack’s mother began to feel better, she decided to move to live with her son

and left her parents’ house such as an independent person and a responsible

adult, here they began to face the life supporting one of each other, but she

changes some habits, for example the fact of having two separated rooms, one for

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each one, and an special that consist in: “we’re going to try everything one time so

we know what we like” (Donoghue, ROOM, 2010, pág. 389). It indicate that Jack

little by little Jack has evolved of the way that he is going to have his own room,

enjoying his life with the people that love him and imply his perspective about the

life and trying to lead a normal life. So they stablish a list of things that they have

to put in action like going to school or going to the college, making new friends or

going up in an airplane. Also they known that they have to change according to the

situation for survive, because first they have to adapted in the way to live in Room

for many years, even they made a daily routine, now they have to integrate to the

society, is to say with the advanced of technology and a constant communication

with others.

Jacks stopped being shy and started to be sociable, now he can talk with

everybody as children of the same age, and now he has a purpose in this life that

is to be happy and learn more with his mother without forget his past, hence he

started to close the past like a memory, and get on track toward to the unknown

since the moment that he said goodbye to that horrible and gloomy ROOM.

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 CONCLUSIONS

At first the story is developed in a room that expose how a child that is five years

old started to live in dreadful circumstances with his mother, where they had to

support the physical and psychological abuses that were committed by Old Nick,

Jack a very smart boy tries to understand the things and occurrences that happen

out of that depressing Room, he believes that only exist the room and there wasn’t

other place however his mother attempt to convince him, although she did it before

when they played or sang songs that was trend in the world like “Macarena” or the

painting of Guernica, where he only had an interaction with his mom. Jack with the

pass of time assimilate his environment and they achieve to escape of their

captivity.

However, Jack was so afraid due he didn’t know nothing of the real world, but his

mother always was there for introduce him, and for that he could made a lot of

friendships, he knows about the nature and the good things that he could enjoy

instead of a simple Sundaystreat. Furthermore he learned to live without his

mother and he integrates to the society with its stereotypes, rules and bones that

had it, the big symbol of that evolution was when he decided to cut his long hair

due it show how he try to be part of the society and after of another new discovers

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and obstacles, he and his mother feels new people, who will not be afraid to face

new adversities because there are a lot of changes that could improve their lives

always on when they have the support of each other, all of possible and even left

of Jack’s comfortable place in the past, the room.

But enclosing, the book present a stage where Jack had to pass for an intensive

process for living outside, after being locked up at his five years. At the beginning

he didn´t feel bad in a room, rather he felt comfortable. But when they go out, all is

new for him. Only he has known to his mother, that helps to Jack through direct

and lovely dialogues with a lot of patience due she wanted that her son surpass

his fears like everyone else for that she help him to adapt to the world with a lot of

dedication, teaches, to get used to trying new things that is better than the preview

situation, even if it looks hard for his age. Hence is evidenced the influence of his

mother during the evolution of Jack, the main character.

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 References and bibliography

Donoghue, E. (2010). ROOM. Picador.

Lesser , C. (2011). The Guernica Effect: The Power and Legacy of Picasso's

Guernica

. Undergraduate Honors Theses, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg,

VA.

Retrieved April 27, 2019, from

https://scholarworks.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://

www.google.com/&http

sredir=1&article=1385&context=honorstheses

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