Mitigating speech is any attempt to downplay or sugarcoat the meaning of what is being said.
Most adults in The Shining use mitigating speech, and it should be taken into account when looking at what is said.
Ullman’s is referring to the atrocities within the hotel (and conceptually, within America as he is literally dressed as the symbolic embodiment of America at war), Wendy’s is in relation to Jack’s harm, Jack’s is in relation to his personal responsibility for that harm, and Halloran’s makes the most literal sense as he’s talking to a 5 year old child.
Ullman’s “I don't want to sound melodramatic,but it is something that's...
been known to give a few people second thoughts about the job.
You’re not being melodramatic talking about the tragedy of a man killing his family.
Wendy’s “It's...it's just the sort of thing you do a hundred times with a
child - you know, in a park or on the streets - but on this particular
occasion my husband just... used too much strength and he injured
Danny's arm.”
Halloran’s “Say like someone burns toast”
This one makes complete sense because he’s talking to a child, but it’s still a sugarcoated way to talk about pain.
and Jack’s “The little fucker had thrown all my papers all over the floor. All I tried to do was to pull him up. A momentary loss of muscular coordination. I mean... A few extra foot pounds of energy, per second... per second.”
In this image · No.5
American History & American Culture
Ullman is dressed in red, white, and blue.
The American flag.
The official pen and star-lined paper.
Cultural appropriation as decoration: the copious amounts of American imagery and the Native American pattern curtains.
Mitgating Speech
“Turn you over to Bill”, Kubrick subtly communicating in dialogue what he’ll communicate visually in A Closing Day: Watson as Jack’s “Shadow Self” .
Saying “I Don’t want to sound melodramatic” when you’re actually about to talk about something serious is a clear example of mitigating speech. Coupled with the fact that the man is dressed like Uncle Sam, with an American Flag on his desk (and an eagle statue behind him), we’re metaphorically talking about atrocities happening on American Soil that America doesn’t want to admit to doing.