Cabin Fever is introduced in No.5 as a flimsy justification for Grady killing his family. Jack’s behavior then supplies a progression: boredom becomes destructive play in No.25 and No.26, followed by violence in No.31, No.72, No.78, and No.79 and the pursuit of Danny. Boredom does not make that violence inevitable. The pattern shows what Jack chooses to do with his frustration.
In this image · No.25
Through boredom, inactivity, and writer’s block, Jack’s choice of distraction becomes physical. The notes attribute throwing the tennis ball to Jack Nicholson’s choice and read Kubrick’s use of it as another natural opportunity. Jack throws the ball against a Native American sand painting, showing a lack of care or reverence for the space and the artifacts around him.