One of the things I really liked about Room was Jack's perspective -- this is obviously a vital aspect of the book but it really made it stand out. I feel like the novel could have been a lot more depressing if it were from Ma's perspective -- obviously it's still quite dark but something about Jack's childhood innocence kept the edge off, because although he'd describe things like scenes with Old Nick, he'd often quickly switch to a fun game with Ma or something, and his innocence makes it a bit more bearable.
His unique way of describing things also added a lot to the book, in both halves of the novel -- from the way he knows the furniture in Room as kind of friends to all his attempts to describe the new things he encounters in the outside. It adds a lot of interest to what could just be sort of bland descriptions and it's always fun to hear familiar things described in new ways. It also makes readers think twice about parts of society we kind of take for granted (for example, the media stuff).
Having Jack narrate also makes the novel more subtle -- I feel like Donoghue drops a lot of little things that Jack just notices in one sentence. This goes back to not dwelling on things a bit but it makes it more rewarding for the reader to pick up on these little things -- I like that Donoghue doesn't draw things out or belabor them too much.
Jack's perspective also emphasized Ma's heroism for me -- the fact that he's developing pretty normally and seems pretty happy speaks to all the Ma has been able to do as a mother in these circumstances.
Emma Donoghue sums a lot of this up herself in the short interview with her at the end of the book. She said she "never considered any other perspective," although she did worry that "the prospect of being stuck in a little kid's head might turn some readers off." For me, I think it did the opposite.
I totally agree, and think that Jack's narration highlights what growing up feel like -- both for the kid and the parent. Obviously I've never experienced growing up from that latter perspective, and I barely remember anything from when I was really young either, so I thought it was interesting how Jack's abnormal early childhood differed from that of a regular kid's, but also how it merely accentuated aspects of childhood that are entirely universal.
ReplyDeleteI think that you're completely write in thinking that it would be a very different novel if it was from Ma's perspective. She would just be thinking about the past and not be as focused in the now as Jack is. I think that is something that really helped me understand their situation better. I novel from Ma's perspective would just be flashbacks and worrying.
ReplyDeleteI actually wrote a tiny bit about how it would different if Ma was narrating. I definitely agree that Jack's voice is extremely distinctive. It was really a selling point to me (not that I had a choice of reading the novel or not) and I think I wouldn't be able to read the book if Ma was narrating because I'd be so much more depressing to the point of unbearable.
ReplyDeleteI feel like my own thoughts and behavior are easily influenced by things I'm immersed in-- for example, music affecting my mood, or spending time in the south making me want to say "y'all," etc. Books work the same way. I read big chunks of the book at a time and after being wrapped up in Jack's world for a long period of time I found myself thinking a little bit like him, or at least forming my thoughts in the style of his narrative voice.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Jack's perspective is a huge part of what makes this novel so compelling and engaging, but you nail down a specific aspect of this near the end of the post: Jack's intelligence, perceptiveness, and generally "healthy" engagement with the world (represented by his engagement with *us* as narrator) is itself a measure and reflection of Ma's heroism. He is truly her "creation" in every way--more so than a typical child-parent relationship, in that she literally is the only influence on him in his formative years--and all these signs of his health are a reflection of her daily herculean parenting efforts, for five straight years of solitary confinement (the solitude of which is importantly leavened by Jack's company).
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