When The ‘Caretaker’ Is Not Taking Care. By Beatriz Cruz López

When The ‘Caretaker’ Is Not Taking Care.

By Beatriz Cruz López

One of Kubrick’s best achievements is that, although The Shining is a horror movie with ghosts and abnormal situations, the most dangerous character is a human being. That is, at the end Jack Torrance’s family is not in danger because of unknown and supernatural forces, but because of him and his violent behaviour.

Ghosts contribute to create an atmosphere of fear and danger, but they do not cause relevant injuries to Danny, Wendy or Jack. Ghosts only play with their minds, showing to the three characters terrifying or glamorous scenes. Ghosts can cause physical damage, as they do to Danny; they also can move things, as the latch of the door of the larder room. But they only have this power in certain areas. It seems to be that ghosts are confined to the places where they used to be in life: room 237, the bar and the kitchen, the corridor, etc. Out of this areas, it is safe to be in the hotel. That is why the cook warns Danny not to enter room 237.

Jack’s behaviour has not changed because of the isolated atmosphere or the lack of food and rest; this only reveals his deeper and dark wishes. He is actually a violent father and husband. He does not ask his wife opinion on important decisions, like getting a job in a strange place, and treats her badly. And he had injured his son before, as Wendy reminds him. Plus, he is an alcoholic and seems to have withdrawal symptoms. Ghosts only make this situation worse by making Wendy believe Jack tried to hang Danny, and by making Jack decide to punish his family. I think in other circumstances Jack would damage his family as well but in a less spectacular way.

Jack is, thus, the real menace. He threatens Wendy he will kill her, but she can beat him and keep him in the larder room. Then, he tries to kill his family and when he fails, he hunted his son with an axe in order to kill him. And, finally, he killed the cook. Jack is responsible for all this. Ghosts do not help him, except when the bartender frees him. But, in this case, Jack has to convince the ghost to open the door by saying he will be able to kill his own family. In contrast, Wendy only damages Jack when necessary but her goal is not kill him but stop him.

Jack is the father and he is supposed to look after his family, to take care of them. This idea is reinforced by the fact he gets the job of ‘caretaker’. He has the added responsibility to keep the hotel in good conditions. But it is Wendy who takes care of the hotel and the family and who tries desperately to save Danny. The role of the father is betrayed by Jack. He does not care of his family and does not move them away from ghosts. On the contrary, he wants them to die and, moreover, he wants to be the one who kills them. This story is shocking because it makes the spectators think they could be in a similar risk. What if the people we trust are similar to Jack? This kind of danger is more real; it goes beyond a simple ghost story.