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
It is three in the afternoon and Danny sits on the bed in his room, listening to Jack scream and pound on the pantry door. Jack’s yells float through the dumbwaiter shaft, and Wendy puts on a record to drown out the sound. Even with the music, Danny can hear Jack shouting, and he wonders what Jack will do if he has to go to the bathroom. Danny starts to cry, and Wendy goes to him. She promises that someone will come—Hallorann, a ranger, anyone—and that everything will be fine. When the snow stops, they will be fine. And, Wendy promises, in the spring, the three of them will go fishing. She tells Danny that she loves him as the wind whips the snow outside the windows.
Danny obviously can’t stand the thought of Jack being locked in the pantry. He deeply loves his father, even though Jack is turning into a monster, which speaks to their profound connection. Meanwhile, Wendy’s calm reaction to this terrifying situation shows that despite her low opinion of herself, she is indeed a strong person under pressure.
Themes
