Similarities Between Jack,t He Main Character of The Shining, and Its Author, Stephen King

One of the most influential and arguably the most popular writer of suspense novels during the 21st century, King bears all his fears and secrets in the terrifying novel The Shining. King unknowingly writes à gothic autobiography as he projects his life struggles and ideals onto the character Jack from The Shining. He gives Jack his personality, his life struggles, his fears and his addictions. Jack and King have very similar lifestyles they both were school teacher who also coached the debate team but felt trapped and disliked their job as à teacher because it took too much time and energy away from writing. Both characters struggle with overcoming alcoholism and the fear of not being able to provide for their family.

Stephen King writes The Shining in front of à mirror as he relates events from his past such as his struggles with alcoholism, fears of being his father and the struggle to provide for his family to The Shining and projects his problems, past mistakes and regrets on to Jack Torrance The Google dictionary defines mirrors as “a reflective surface, now typically of glass coated with a metal amalgam, that reflects a clear image. ” Stephen King doesn't clearly see himself as the alcoholic raging father jack was, King subconsciously writes The Shining’s main character Jack when relating him to his personal life he says that“ I was the guy who had written The Shining without even realizing that I was writing about myself, ”. Stephen King uses a gothist’s mirror while written about Jack in The Shining, to gothists a mirror only stands to represents the negative aspects of one’s life and this is what Kings does, he gives Jack his worst parts, he gives him the need and desire to do the “bad thing. ” To gothists a mirror equals a double and a double equals a doppelganger, which is basically an even more evil you, and if you see this doppleganger you have to kill it, as it is evil, Jack is Kings doppelganger, as King convinces himself that he Jack is worse than him, by making Jack break Danny’s arm or almost kill a kid, things that make him better than Jack. These scenes allow king to lessen the guilt he carries by making jack more evil in effort to prove he is nothing like the abusive and violent Jack Torrance. King’s struggles with alcoholism, fears of becoming his father and the struggle to provide for his family all relate to The Shining as king projects his problems, past mistakes and regrets on to Jack Torrance Jack struggles through many of the problem that Stephen King faced in real life. King also connects his thought about kids and other ideals into this book as Jack.

During an interview King talks about the rage he felt towards his children when he was struggling just life although he doesn't act on it like Jack, King felt years of guilt for the fear of not being able to support his family like Jack does when he pictures “Danny with his arm in a cast”. This data helps support my claim of the personal anger and guilt King puts into Jack and The Shining. The Shining's scene where Jack breaks Danny’s arm is, Kings way of saying that he isn't Jack Torrance, it's a way of saying that he isn't his father either the same problems and fears that the characters share are related and are even carried on into The Shining sequel doctor sleep where Danny has grown up and fears turning into his father just like King and Jack do. Stephen King's father left when he was only about 2 years old, he grew up in a life of poverty just like Jack and they both tried everything they could to support their family. One of King's fears is turning into his father he has the need to prove that he is nothing like him, and in the end King does manage to do that as he gets sober and becomes a world famous author, Jack fears this and tries his best not to be he father, he quits drinking and stays with his family, he doesn't leave them to fend for themselves even though he often thinks about suicide. Jack wises nothing but to control his violence "Dear God, I am not a son of a bitch. Please". Even in doctor sleep Danny hopes to be anything but his father. King obviously has had some issues with his father walking out on his mother and him leaving them alone and poor. He seems to associate these problems quite clearly with Jack and Danny, they both want to be nothing like their father.

Both King and Jack try to do what's best for their kids try to give than a good life, like King, Jack also used to go to soccer games with his son. Both characters have the fear to turing into their fathers and do everything they can to prove otherwise. The Shining reflects Stephen King’s past experiences and struggles with alcoholism and being an ideal father figure to his family through the characteristics of Jack Torrance.