From the start of The Shining, you can tell that there's something not quite right about the Torrance family. Maybe it's Danny's imaginary friend; maybe it's Jack's short temper with his wife Wendy, or maybe it's the fact that Jack dislocated his son Danny's shoulder when Danny was just a toddler.
They're far from ideal, and it looks like their isolation at the Overlook Hotel is going to highlight any dysfunction in their relationships. But little do we know that it'll highlight a whole lot more than just bad relationships. It'll take the very concept of family and turn it into something horrifying.
Questions about Family
- When do you first sense that everything's not quite right with Jack and his family? Why?
- What is Delbert Grady's reason for killing his family? How is it connected to Jack's situation?
- When does Jack turn against his family for good? What provokes the shift and why?
Chew on This
The Shining destroys any notion we might have that families have a natural love for each other.
The Shining reminds us that family abuse is usually something you can see coming from a mile away.