I logged on to find that my blog had moved almost to the bottom of Mr. Mitchell's list! I cannot abide (another toe). So I'm joining in the Thursday night posting orgy.
One of the things that I've noticed a lot more in this read though -- I read Room once before -- is Ma and Old Nick's interactions. I think in the first read through, I was just totally skeezed out, but their conversations are interesting in a dark way.
First and foremost, Ma's conversations with Old Nick exemplify Ma's overriding commitment to protecting Jack. We see how she placates him and plays into his delusion that she somehow wants to be there and be subjected to him. Jack's arrival actually made Ma's situation a lot more complicated in terms of her behavior with Old Nick, because when Jack was born, she acquired something to lose. Still, Ma never wavers in her insistence that Jack's birth was the best thing that ever happened to her. I think Ma's devotion to Jack, even though it puts her in a more vulnerable position, is an awesome statement about the inherent heroism in motherhood, the idea of putting another persons needs completely above your own.
I wonder what exactly Old Nick's plans were. Ma was certainly getting edgy about Jack's development in Room. Old Nick doesn't have the same concerns about Jack being happy in his world, but he had to recognize that, at some point, Jack would become strong enough that him and Ma together could pose a physical threat. It seems like he might have had to dispose of Jack eventually, or otherwise make Jack go over to his side (which seems very unlikely). On the other, Jack seems to have always been Ma's domain. If Old Nick tried to mess with that, she undoubtedly would flip.
Ma's relationship to Jack is so remarkably strong, it really puts into perspective for me just how evil Old Nick was that Ma would risk her five-year-old son's life (not to mention her own of course) for the slight chance of escape. I appreciate that he's so blatantly a one-dimensional character with no nuances whatsoever, making him entirely unsympathetic, strengthening the heroism of Jack and Ma throughout the chapter Dying.
ReplyDeleteI think that Old Nick's long-term plan for Jack, if he has one, would probably be to somehow keep him from being a physical threat to him, either by getting Jack to deeply fear Nick or by malnourishing him so that he's weak. I don't think that he would kill him, as that would make Ma either kill herself or get violent, neither of which he really wants. I agree that it seems unlikely that he'd get Jack on his side, as Jack's relationship with Ma is absurdly strong, and he rarely interacts with Jack. Some people saw his gift of the Jeep as a way to get Jack to side with him, but I saw it more as Nick actually feeling like he should get him a present, that it was a "responsibility" of his in the role he's created for himself as the sort of father figure of this "family."
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you on this (other than the last bit you said about the Jeep). I think that Ole Nick wants Jack to be there and as vulnerable as possible so that he has another way to get at Ma. He can also use Jack to get at her in a emotional way too though without hurting him. I think that Ole Nick was trying to win Jack over to his side (hence he buys him the toys) so that he'd have an ally in case a problem came up with Ma since I think she would shy away from conflict with her own child, though it is possible that it's just part of the responsibility that Ole Jack feels towards his "family".
DeleteIt's interesting as to how far Ma goes to do the best for Jack. Even though it's pretty obvious that Jack is the probably the biological son of Old Nick (there's no other explanation for his existence), Ma still has this deep love for Jack. I would have thought at some level, Ma would have this internal hate for Jack because he is literally demon spawn. At the same time, I guess Jack provided welcome company to Ma who was going crazy from being alone in the Room.
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