The beginning of Living gave us a view of Jack living without Ma. We know that Jack’s never been apart from Ma and from the incident before Ma’s interview, we know that Jack doesn’t enjoy being separated from Ma. So I was extremely surprised when I started reading Living. I saw Jack adapting pretty well to life without Ma. There are a few mementos of Ma that Jack still holds on to, such as her tooth, and Jack does get extremely excited when things from Room are brought to his new home. But during the majority of the chapter, he doesn’t seem to be constantly thinking about Ma and Room. Granted he has a lot of things he needs to learn, but for a kid experiencing the world for the first time, I think Jack is doing great.
In class we talked about how some things that seemed like trivial details were actually huge steps for Jack. One of my favorite moments in Living was when Jack makes his first “friend”, Walker. It was such a huge step, because Jack was finally connecting with another kid. But we’re quickly reminded about how foreign this is to Jack when he tries to hug Walker and knocks him down. And Jack’s reaction to being told that you don’t just hug strangers is so innocent. “‘I love that boy Walker.’ ‘Jack, you never saw him before in your life’” (288). This was just such a pure and adorable statement. And despite the small hitch of Jack knocking the kid over, he still managed to get along with another kid.
It was also refreshing to see Jack connecting with Grandma and Steppa. Grandma and Jack’s relationship really reflected a common grandma-to-grandson dynamic, even considering Jack’s different situation. Especially considering our first meeting with Grandma (when Ma is already annoyed by her), I think her connection to Jack really puts her in a better light. And every time that Grandma could explain things to Jack or resolve a problem, it happily surprised me that Jack was open to learning from people other than Ma. On the other hand, Jack and Steppa’s relationship were a lot more buddy-buddy, and I enjoyed getting to see Jack make his first true friend.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Room and getting to see Jack adapted to the outside world.
Yeah, knocking a kid over with a *hug* is pretty sweet, as kids getting in trouble goes. I agree that the scene with Walker is nice, and also an important "threshold" moment for Jack. He loves Ma's company, but it leads us to reflect that he has no real idea what it's like to play with a bunch of other kids--one of the great joys of childhood. He has a kind of paradigm for a kid-friendship with Dora (who he believes sees him, answers him, hears what he says to her), and this simple interlude with Walker is his first step toward integrating into kid-society.
ReplyDeleteWe talked a little in class about how it was serendipitous that Jack gained his freedom at this specific time in his life. He is aware and intelligent enough to inquire and interpret, but also malleable and plastic enough to assimilate the vast amount of new information. He is doing an excellent job of that, as you say, and is managing to develop well despite his previous situation.
ReplyDeleteOn some level, it wasn't a huge shock to me that Jack manages without Ma. He makes a big deal of being apart from her earlier in the book, but once Ma's suicide attempt forces them to separate, it's something like ripping a bandage off. People always told me it hurt less to rip off bandages really quickly, except that's a complete crock of (something rude) because it depends on what kind of bandage it is. Some kinds you actually are better off peeling slowly, but I guess this metaphorical bandage was one of the ones to rip off all at once. Jack couldn't have known it would be (like how Ma couldn't have known the interview would overwhelm her to the point of overdosing on pills), but it was, so it turned out all right.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised as well that Jack managed to get along with Grandma and Steppa, and was a little disappointed that they didn't get more time together. Clearly, they are making a positive impact on him - both Grandma and Steppa quickly figured out how to deal with him, and they treat him not as a victim, but almost as a mature adult. If he hadn't been reunited with Ma so quickly, he might have developed an even more solid relationship with them and transitioned into a more normal (what we would consider healthy) relationship with Ma.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed seeing Jack learning how to adapt to this new society. I think that Jack as a character is very likable. He is innocent, and the simple comments that he makes are profound and even philosophical on a deeper level, but also make you burst out laughing. It was very satisfying seeing Jack learning about the vast world after spending his entire life living in an illusion. Jack is one of those characters that you only wish the best, not just because of his situation or the fact that he is an innocent five year old, but because of his personality as well.
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