Cultural Viscera

The Maze:

Kubrick as Unreliable Narrator:

Kubrick’s Aesthetic:

Wendy aligned with the typewriter

Abuse Narrative, American History Narrative, The Maze

A45:767

The Abuse Narrative is obvious: 

A5, Jack lying about his family in order to get what he needs. 

A7, Danny’s injury related to Jack’s work

A24, Jack’s choice of work over his family

A31, Jack’s attacking Wendy over his work

A50, Jack attacking Wendy over his work

A53, Jack’s “true work” as revealed as being in control of his family [the conceptual meaning of  ‘caretaker’]

The American History aspect is gestural:

Wendy stylized like a Native American (boots, hair), aligned with the typewriter showing the damages to women and children done at the hands of men are part of our history, and the stories we hear are controlled and delivered by men (and the men that did the harm).

i1265 shows the awareness of what has been done. Whether this signifies the treaties the American Govt drafted and then completely abandoned them, or simply that what was promised was not what transpired.

Utilizing the compositional set up of the work and the typewriter continue the problems surrounding Jack’s work and his family.

A7, Danny’s injury happened because he was playing around w/ Jack’s work

A24, Wendy asks for company Jack turns her down because of his work

A31, Jack attacks Wendy for interrupting his work

A50, Jack attacks Wendy for his lack of job prospects

A53, Jack’s work becomes self-protection against his family and outsiders of influence

As clearly as Jack would be heading towards The Gold Room to drink after a fight is as clear as Jack’s work being the instigator for the issues. 

“All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy”

It means that without time off from work, a person becomes both bored and boring. The exact origins of the phrase remain unclear, though it was recorded as early as 1659. 

What “Work” has become”

Especially since that scene with Grady— work, duty, and responsibility have all become conflated with harm, murder, and killing. 

What “Play” has become”

“Play” gets conflated with harm as well, simply for being introduced in genuine means (with Wendy chasing Danny in the snow) with nefarious means (with Jack chasing Danny in the snow-covered maze). 

As an example of Fatalistic Irony: 

Jack’s choice to focus solely on his work is his own. It is the very essence behind “I think he did it to himself”.

A5, “I’m working on a new writing project and five months of peace is just what I need”

A24, “I supposed I ought to get some writing done first”

A31, “I’m not being grouchy, I’m just trying to finish my work”

A33, A36, Jack shown in Co Lounge working

A41, “I’ve got too much work to do [instead of sleep]”

A45, Jack falls asleep as his desk in Co Lounge 

A59, Jack shown working in Co Lounge

As a piece of work that Jack sees as legitimate

The different stanzas could act as intentional, like as in prose, or a play, or references within a written work

Or they could be seen as punishment, as in repeating the same line as a way of beating into the brain. 

The same can also be said of the variations of ‘boy’ - bog, bot, - are they mistakes? are they intentional? 

Ghost Story:

The Torrance’s problems are due to ghosts, not Jack. 

Cabin Fever:

Jack’s mental state has been affected to the point where he sees this as a great piece of work. 

No.45

Wendy walks into The Colorado Lounge from the same direction. 

Which Jack will Wendy meet?

The Jack that attacks her, No.31

The Jack that needs her, No.45

Play Vs. Harm

A26:i519, Wendy’s play chasing

A81:i1841.5, Jack chasing Danny in the maze

A33:i642,Wendy and Danny snow fight

A84:i1998,i2010, Jack chases Danny in the maze

Both Wendy and Jack call out for Danny- but Jack is calling out to harm him, Wendy calls to save him.

(No.79 is Jack, No.80 is Wendy)

Play as Harm, a warning 

A38:i674 “Come play with us, Danny / Forever and ever and ever”

A41:724 “I wish we could stay here forever and ever and ever” 

“Five Months of Peace Is Just What I Want”

The duality of Jack’s frustration with his own work (and his choices to isolate himself for that work) is an interesting one. He can’t simultaneously resent himself and his situation for his own choices, but he does. 

What Exactly IS Jack’s Work?

A5, “Did they give you any idea in Denver about what the job entails? / it’s a janitorial position

A5, “I’m working on a new writing project and five months of peace is just what I need”

A45, Wendy is shown doing the job described in A5 wearing the same shirt Jack is wearing. 

A50, “It’s just like you to create a problem like this when I finally have a chance to accomplish something. When I am really into my work “ / his writing

A53, “And when my wife tried to prevent me from doing my duty, I corrected her”

A69, “Mr. Torrance, I see you have hardly taken care of the business we discussed” 

Wendy’s Trail of Awareness

Her denial gets ripped off like a bandaid.

“We’re all going to have a real good time!”

“You’ve had your whole fucking life to think things over, what’s a few minutes more going to do you now?”

No.80

No.85

No.87

This scene has Wendy entering The Colorado Lounge in a similar path as No.45. Jack’s seat is shown, but it’s in darkness (contrast to the scene we just saw of him— writing in a lit space). 

The camera moves behind Wendy, at a diagonal. As she walks through to the end of The Colorado Lounge, the camera pans through the wall to see her look up at a lit staircase. 

The camera then cuts to directly in front of Wendy as she approaches the typewriter, and cuts again to see her read what’s written. Reacting as the awareness hits her.

The camera’s point of view becomes Wendys as we see what’s written, scrolling through— and eventually flipping through, the pages. 

The Colorado Lounge

Wendy

Polymorphia— “many forms”.