The Shining--Kylie

 Psychological horror is one of the many subgenres under the overwhelming genre of horror in literature. This kind of horror has been attempted time and time again, but many authors fail to fully exploit its complexity and true effects on readers in their works. However, one of the few authors who has done just this throughout his career is Stephen King, who has written one of the most foundational works of the psychological horror genre, “The Shining.” 

King begins the novel by introducing readers to the main character of the story, Jack Torrance, as he is being interviewed to be the new caretaker of The Overlook Hotel during the winter due to the position being suddenly open. This position is open, as Jack is informed, because the previous caretaker murdered his family and then ended his own life after doing so in the hotel the previous year. It is then revealed that Jack is an aspiring writer who also has a family consisting of him, his wife Wendy, and his young son Danny. However, Jack is a recovering alcoholic who consistently became abusive and angry when intoxicated, which had created a wedge in the relationship that he has with his family. 

Jack takes this offer of becoming the hotel’s new caretaker, believing that this new experience will allow him to both mend his familial relationships and help him get rid of his writer’s block that is holding him back from success in his writing career. The Torrance family is given a tour of the Overlook Hotel by a man named Dick Hallorann, whose relationship with Danny Torrance reveals the supernatural abilities that Danny has along with Hallorann, which allow him to communicate with others telepathically, see the future and the past, and to see what lies beyond the reality of the living.

 During their time at the Overlook Hotel, the Torrance family experiences strange occurrences as time progresses. For example, Danny begins to have visions of the supernatural beings that haunt the halls of the hotel and of the horrific events that have occurred there in the past. Wendy sees how Danny is acting and becomes more and more concerned with his well-being, even going so far as to accuse Jack of abusing their son because Jack is also acting strange. The hotel is taking over his mind, causing him to act more aggressive toward his family and becoming more isolated and focused on his work. This factor along with the fact that a snowstorm had hit the Overlook Hotel and therefore prevented the family from interacting with the outside world furthered Jack’s insanity and intrusive thoughts and impulses. 

Jack’s madness is intensified specifically when one night he finds himself in the ballroom of the hotel, where he is in the middle of a ghostly party and receives drinks from the ghostly bartender working the bar. At this ball, Jack has an encounter with the ghost of Delbert Grady, who tells him that he must murder his wife and “bring” them, with “them” being the ghostly inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel, his son Danny. So, Jack attempts to do just this, as he tries to strangle Wendy with his own hands. Wendy, however, uses a glass bottle to hit over Jack’s head and therefore cause him to go unconscious. Wendy and Danny drag Jack’s body into a pantry and decide to leave him there. When Jack awakens, the ghost of Grady greets him and reminds him of his given mission, and then unlocks the pantry and lets him out.

 Jack once again attacks Wendy with a mallet. During this time, however, Danny uses his “shining” powers to relay a message to Hallorann begging for help and protection. However, when Hallorann arrives at the hotel, he is attacked by the hotel’s hedge animals themselves and is then attacked by Jack. Danny is then targeted by Jack, but Danny is running around the hotel and realizes that the voice he hears, Tony, is him from the future trying to warn him about the grim future. Danny then returns to Wendy and Hallorann, who then end up leaving the hotel and Jack behind, along with their evil natures and insanities. 

Through this story, King is trying to portray the message that family structures can be divided and broken apart due to personal issues and stresses such as alcoholism and overworking. The events that occur in The Shining and the characteristics of Jack Torrance are inspired by Stephen King’s own experiences, as he too struggled with alcoholism and the fear of allowing it to damage his familial relationships. 

I personally love The Shining, as the novel and the film have been major parts of my life regarding my interests. The story of The Shining was one of the first few horror stories I had heard that made me more interested in the dark and supernatural aspects of life. 

This novel transcends multiple genres, but those who enjoy a good scare, specifically the kind that give a sense of anxiety and make audiences fear their own minds, The Shining is a perfect read in one’s free time.