In this section of our Colossus Movie Guide for The Shining, we look at important motifs that help us understand the film.
Cast
- Jack Nicholson – Jack Torrance
- Shelley Duvall – Wendy Torrance
- Danny Lloyd – Danny “Doc” Torrance
- Scatman Crothers – Dick Hallorann
- Barry Nelson – Stuart Ullman
- Philip Stone – Delbert Grady
- Joe Turkel – Lloyd
- Anne Jackson – Doctor
- Tony Burton – Larry Durkin
- Diane Johnson – Writer
- Stanley Kubrick – Writer and director
Important motifs in The Shining
The Overlook Hotel
The Overlook Hotel itself is a powerful motif in The Shining, representing a labyrinth of the past, filled with echos of historical violence (a theme discussed in the Themes and Meaning section). It serves as a mirror for Jack’s descent into madness, its long, winding corridors paralleling his spiral into insanity. The hotel also serves as a stage for confronting past atrocities. Its spaces—the ballroom, Room 237, the Gold Room—become sites where characters encounter the past, embodied in eerie apparitions and unsettling visions. The hotel’s persistent influence, despite seasonal closure and geographical isolation, underscores its symbolic status as a reservoir of inherited violence and historical trauma.
The Maze
The maze motif, both literal and metaphorical (as discussed in the Ending Explained section), plays a crucial role in the narrative. On the surface, the hotel’s hedge maze is a structure for children’s games and exploration. But as the story unfolds, it becomes a symbol for confusion, fear, and survival. Metaphorically, the hotel itself is a maze, filled with corridors of past violence and haunting memories. The characters must navigate these twin labyrinths—one physical and the other psychological—illustrating their journey through and escape from the terrifying legacy of violence that engulfs the Overlook Hotel.
Mirrors
Mirrors and reflections feature prominently in The Shining. Often used to reveal an altered reality, they highlight the duality of human nature and the tension between appearance and reality. The film frequently uses mirror images to indicate a shift from normalcy to horror. Jack’s conversations with apparitions often occur with mirrors present, symbolizing his gradual alignment with the hotel’s violent history. Similarly, the word “redrum” must be seen in a mirror to reveal its true, chilling meaning: “murder”. These mirrors reflect the characters’ altered states, the intrusion of past into present, and the thin veil separating sanity from madness.
The Number 237
The number 237, specifically relating to Room 237, is a recurring motif that holds an ominous presence. It’s the epicenter of the hotel’s malevolence, and the source of fear and fascination for Danny. This room represents the heart of the hotel’s past atrocities, embodying its violent history. It’s in Room 237 that Jack fully succumbs to the hotel’s influence, signaling his complete descent into madness. The number 237 becomes synonymous with the unknown and forbidden, illustrating the allure and danger of delving into the murky depths of the past.
The Twins
The ghostly apparitions of the Grady twins are a recurring and chilling motif. They embody the hotel’s violent past, representing victims of the cycle of violence that has marked the Overlook’s history. The twins’ pleas for Danny to “play with them forever” can be seen as a sinister invitation to join this cycle. Their presence emphasizes the film’s exploration of inherited violence, highlighting the impact on younger generations who are confronted with the sins and evils of their predecessors. These apparitions of the past constantly intrude into the present, creating an unsettling atmosphere and reinforcing the haunting power of history.
Share your thoughts
Are there more motifs you think should be part of the Colossus Movie Guide for The Shining? Leave your thoughts below and we’ll consider them for the guide.
