The Shining

Why is Room 217 so significant, both in terms of the story’s plot and from a metaphorical perspective?

Why does the Overlook Hotel want Danny more than it wants his parents? What evidence supports that contention?

What role does Tony play in Danny’s life? How does his role evolve over the course of the narrative?

Discuss the role of addiction in the story. How does addiction relate to Jack’s trauma and his deep sense of grievance and victimhood? And although the story is firmly set in the realm of the supernatural, how does the story resonate with real-life issues of addiction and mental illness?

What do you think Grady means when he says Jack has always been the caretaker? To some extent, King leaves this up to interpretation. Theorize about the nature of how time works in the Overlook and how that relates to the evil embodied by the hotel.

How does Wendy’s relationship with her mother influence her during the winter at the Overlook?

What is the symbolic significance of the wasps’ nests? Refer to both the nest in the narrative’s present and the one from Jack’s childhood memories.

What story does King reference when the ghosts at the hotel shout about unmasking? How is it relevant to the situation at the Overlook?