Society and Class Quotes in Room

This is something Jack overhears another cop say to Officer Oh. He doesn't understand what it means, but that's okay. The cop doesn't understand Jack, either. He's the first of many people in society who aren't going to understand what Jack and Ma went through but are going to make assumptions about it anyway.

Ma is experiencing some culture shock of her own on the Outside. Even though Ma and Jack have lived outside of society for years and years, everyone else expects them to abide by their societal norms. Breastfeeding in public is weird enough to most people; breastfeeding a five-year-old is just unacceptable.

Jack doesn't like people staring. Who does? People think Jack is weird because he doesn't fit into a neat little bubble dictated by society—so they stare at him. But staring isn't polite at all. At least Jack isn't doing anything to make them directly uncomfortable.