In this section of our Colossus Movie Guide for The Shining, we talk about themes 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
The themes and meaning of The Shining
The Psychological Impact of Isolation
One of the most notable themes that courses through the narrative of The Shining is isolation and its psychological impact. The film transports the audience to the Overlook Hotel, a secluded edifice surrounded by vast expanses of snow, effectively cutting the Torrance family from the rest of the world. The theme of isolation begins with a physical separation but rapidly becomes psychological as Jack descends into madness.
This isolation has a dual role: it both exposes and fuels the madness lurking within Jack. With no one to interact with, his mind becomes an echo chamber for his fears, frustrations, and inner demons. As he is increasingly drawn into his own mind, the line between his perception and reality blurs, leading to paranoia and aggression. The remote setting of the hotel, combined with the long, harsh winter, intensifies the sense of claustrophobia and psychological pressure, slowly distorting Jack’s grasp on reality.
Wendy and Danny are not immune to the detrimental effects of isolation either. Wendy, distanced from any societal support and trapped with an increasingly volatile husband, is pushed into a state of fear and desperation. Her isolation heightens her vulnerability, leaving her defenseless in the face of her husband’s madness. Danny, likewise, is trapped in his own kind of isolation. His psychic abilities estrange him from his parents, making him privy to the looming dangers but unable to articulate or share them effectively. In their isolation, each family member grapples with their fears and vulnerabilities, pushing them towards an unavoidable tragedy.
The Duality of Human Nature
A central theme explored in The Shining is the duality of human nature. The film delves into this dichotomy, illustrating the coexistence of good and evil, sanity and madness, reality and illusion within the characters. Jack, initially presented as a flawed but well-meaning father, descends into a murderous frenzy, demonstrating the darker side that lurks beneath the surface.
Contrastingly, Danny, a young boy, showcases a paradoxical blend of innocence and wisdom far beyond his years, courtesy of his “shine” (a phenomena discussed in the Title Explanation section). His character exemplifies the capacity for good, purity, and resilience in the face of immense terror. Meanwhile, Wendy, an initially passive figure, summons her strength and determination to protect her son, illustrating the dual facets of vulnerability and strength.
The hotel itself mirrors this duality. It’s a beautiful architectural marvel, but it houses a terrifying history, becoming a character of its own with an exterior of grandeur and an interior of menace. This exploration of duality underscores the complexities and contradictions of human nature and our environments, demonstrating the coexistence of light and darkness in the same space.
The theme of duality in The Shining holds a mirror up to the larger society, demonstrating the dichotomy that exists within us all. Every individual possesses the capacity for both good and evil, strength and vulnerability, rationality and irrationality. We often see this duality manifest in society, in the form of differing beliefs, conflicting actions, and the continual struggle between progress and regress.
Just like Jack, society often faces the challenge of containing its darker tendencies. From acts of discrimination and violence to instances of corruption and greed, these are manifestations of society’s “dark side.” Similarly, like Wendy and Danny, society also has the capacity for resilience, compassion, and change. Acts of kindness, advocacy for justice, and collective initiatives for positive change are testament to this “light.”
The Overlook Hotel serves as a metaphor for society itself: beautiful yet haunted, welcoming yet dangerous. It houses within its walls the memories of joy and horror, much like societies that harbor histories of both progress and atrocities.
The Cycle of Violence
A third significant theme in The Shining is the cycle of violence. The Overlook Hotel stands as a haunting monument to a history of violence and malevolence. Throughout the narrative, we learn about its troubled past, which seems to linger and influence the present. The hotel’s violent history is unveiled through a series of horrifying revelations: stories of mobsters, murders, and a previous winter caretaker who, succumbing to cabin fever, killed his family before committing suicide. These snippets of the hotel’s past build a narrative of recurrent violence, creating a thematic cycle that echoes ominously through the corridors of the Overlook.
Jack, a man with his own violent tendencies and history of alcoholism, becomes the latest link in this chain of violence. It’s as if the hotel seeks to repeat its bloody history through Jack, tapping into his existing vulnerabilities and exacerbating them. His hallucinations and interactions with the apparitions of the hotel indicate that he’s not just spiraling into madness in isolation; he’s being driven to it by the echoes of past violence that haunt the hotel.
This reflects a crucial aspect of the cycle of violence theme: the power of past atrocities to perpetuate and replicate themselves in the future. The violence in the Overlook Hotel’s history doesn’t just remain in the past—it actively seeps into the present, manipulating the inhabitants towards further violence. Jack’s journey from a flawed individual to a homicidal maniac under the hotel’s influence illustrates how past violence, when left unresolved or unacknowledged, can continue to wreak havoc on the present and the future.
However, the narrative doesn’t leave us bereft of hope. Through the characters of Wendy and Danny, it points towards a potential path to peace and reconciliation. Wendy’s journey, for instance, although fraught with terror, demonstrates an inspiring resilience and determination to protect her child. She represents the spirit of survival against oppressive violence. Wendy’s determination to escape the cycle of violence in the Overlook Hotel is the first step towards breaking it. Her actions suggest that courage, resolve, and a desire for safety can indeed challenge this recurrent pattern.
Danny’s role in breaking this cycle, however, is more nuanced. His shine makes him a passive observer of the hotel’s violent history, which he is unable to influence or change. Yet, he isn’t just a victim. Danny also exemplifies resilience, survival, and an intuitive understanding of the nature of the violence that surrounds him. Through his psychic abilities, he anticipates the threat posed by his father and effectively navigates through the dangers.
His ability to confront the past atrocities, symbolized by the terrifying apparitions in the hotel, and his capacity to survive the immediate violence threatening him signifies a form of reconciliation. By surviving the physical violence enacted upon his family and mentally navigating through the hotel’s violent past, Danny symbolically reconciles with the history and breaks free from its chain of repetition.
In the real world, such paths towards peace and reconciliation often involve acknowledging past atrocities, understanding the root causes of violence, ensuring accountability, and taking decisive steps to avoid the repetition of past mistakes. While the process is complex and challenging, it’s a necessary journey to prevent history from repeating itself in a destructive cycle of violence.
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