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Chapter 8
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Shining, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Fear, the Paranormal, and Reality
Precognition, Second Sight, and the Shining
Family
Isolation and Insanity
Alcoholism and Abuse
Time
Summary
Analysis
Ullman is waiting for the Torrances when they arrive at the Overlook Hotel. He greets them and seems genuinely fond of Danny. Wendy isn’t surprised; most people are drawn to Danny. It is the last day of the hotel’s season, and the lobby is packed. People mill about, checking out and visiting by the massive fireplace that dominates the reception area. A constant dinging sound cuts the air as the antique cash register rings out the guests. Stickers advertising the accepted credit cards are stuck to the side of the cash register and seem ridiculously out of place. As Wendy looks around, she decides this is just what her family needs—a winter away from the rest of the world.
People are drawn to Danny because he can read people’s thoughts and sense their moods, which makes people feel comfortable with him, even if they don’t know why. The bustling hotel is a stark contrast to the empty and dark place the Overlook will soon turn into. The cash register, which is as old as the hotel, and the modern credit card stickers are also a stark contrast, and they highlight the blending of eras and time within the hotel.
Themes
Danny tries to pretend that he isn’t scared. Tony’s visions don’t always come true, Danny reminds himself. He vows to be careful. He will be on the lookout for anything that could be “Redrum.” For now, Jack and Wendy are happy, and Danny doesn’t want to jeopardize that happiness. Danny sees a sign he doesn’t recognize and asks Jack what “ROQUE” spells. Jack tells him that it is pronounced “roke,” and it is a game similar to croquet. Danny asks if roque is played with a mallet, and Jack says it is, except roque mallets are shorter and have one rubber end and one wood end. Near the roque court, Wendy points out a group of animal topiaries—a dog, a rabbit, a horse, a cow, and three lions—which are situated near a playground that will be all Danny’s. Danny tries to sound enthusiastic about this.
Danny is beginning to piece the meaning of his visions together, including the importance of the roque court and mallet. Again, Danny is obviously afraid of the hotel, but he is more afraid of his parents getting a divorce, which underscores King’s ongoing argument that reality is often scarier than the paranormal. Whereas one would expect any child to be enthusiastic about animals and a playground all their own, Danny seems to be uneasy. He doesn’t specifically know why these places bother him, but they make him uncomfortable from the start, which is another example of Danny’s “second sight.”
Themes
As Danny looks at the surrounding mountains, he suddenly feels very alone. He doesn’t yet know the word “isolation,” but he would immediately understand if it was explained to him now. His family will be the only people left in the hotel, and once it begins to snow, the road down to Sidewinder will be impassable until the spring thaw. Danny watches as an older woman walks through the lobby to her car outside, which has been brought to the door by a young and attractive hotel employee. As the young man helps the woman with her luggage, Danny enters her thoughts. “I’d like to get into his pants,” the woman thinks. Danny is confused and can’t imagine why she would want to wear the man’s pants.
Danny’s confusion at the woman’s thoughts again reflects just how young and innocent he is, despite always being aware of adults’ thoughts. Danny is forced to grow up faster than he should because he is constantly exposed to adult concerns like divorce, death, and sex. In this sense, his “second sight” is very isolating—he is forced to listen to others’ thoughts that he doesn’t fully understand, and can’t openly talk about them with anyone because they won’t believe him.
Themes
