American Culture

American Culture is such a huge part of The Shining it can practically be treated as its own invisible character.

From Jack’s belief that he’s among the greats (and the final shot of him among them), the objectification of women as normal, the blatant racism, “White Man’s Burden”, the blatant domestic violence we excuse, the implication that writing is more important than manual labor OR child rearing, using other cultures’ meaningful artifacts as surface decoration, “Loser has to keep America clean”— all of these things speak to American Culture.

The photo shows Jack in a party in 1921, which ‘makes sense’ as we see Jack interact with partiers from the 1920s in No.53, but what I believe it’s saying is that Jack is encapsulated as someone who became manipulated to thinking he could be a person of power in a game he couldn’t win.

He’s a caretaker in the hotel, not someone of great import, but his ego and his NEED to be great cause him to self destruct in order to reach that goal.

Manipulated by his own ego and demons, he destroys the actual thing that could have made him great- raising a healthy and productive son.

There IS a greatness in creating generations of people who are more focused on the good rather than the attainment or the fame. We aren’t there. But seeing the family as a hindrance because you are not wealthy or famous speaks to the American culture more than any of us would probably care to admit.

Jack is cemented as “One of the best people” in The Overlook, but seeing what he does, what he says, it’s hardly a compliment.