The Shining: Wendy Torrance

The Shining is one of the most interesting and in depth movies of the modern age, and parts of it can be analyzed time and time again with no solid conclusion being reached. Kubrick's subliminal messages and changes that he places throughout the movie give strength to endless discussion. However, I believe that one of the most overlooked and curious aspects of the movie is Kubrick's presentation of Wendy Torrance. She is Jack's husband and Danny's mother. Although she manages to keep her head straight and escape with Danny from Jack, for most of the movie she seems more of an empty, clueless, shallow women. One would assume that, just by knowing the plot of the movie, if she was able to escape her deranged husband trying to kill her she must be a strong, determined mother that will do anything to save herself along with her son. However, this is actually not the case after viewing the film. Instead, for the most part she aimlessly plays the part of "the typical dumb wife" that never addresses the obvious problems her husband and son are having that lead to Jack's attempted killing spree. As Stephan King said after watching Kubrick's interpretation of his book, "She's basically just there to scream and be stupid" (Miller). And thats exactly what she does. She gives off a vibe of indecisiveness and shallowness, like all she is meant to for is to react when Jack finally snaps by wailing and pleading for her life. Even when the family is driving up to the lodge in the beginning of the movie and Danny is telling some story, she seems like she is only half there and the other half is somewhere else, preoccupied.