This theme feeds into the large narrative of the Ghost story. It’s the story that the hotel overpowers Jack. It offers the hotel’s power as an explanation for Jack’s violence. The family’s earlier history of abuse complicates the suggestion that he arrived as a harmless man.
In this image · No.63
What Exactly Is Jack’s Work?
What exactly is Jack’s work? In No.5, the caretaker job is described as janitorial, while Jack describes his writing project. In No.45, Wendy performs the practical maintenance associated with that job, wearing the same shirt Jack wore. His claim to accomplishment in No.50 concerns writing. By No.53, Grady calls violence against his wife “doing my duty”; in No.69, he asks why Jack has not taken care of their “business.” The meanings of work, responsibility, and caretaker converge on control and harm.