Book 1 Project: Room

Before Jack and his mother escape the room where they’ve been held captive for seven years, all that they had in this world was each other. Jack had very little knowledge of anything other than this 11 by 11 shed in which he and his mother were confined. Jack’s mother knew, though, that she had to find a way to escape because her son deserved to see the outside world.  She knew that if she waited too long that “Old Nick” might do something to hurt, or emotionally traumatize her son. A way that we could add more interest in the book is by creating a journal of Jack’s mom. The diary would be an insight into the thoughts, feelings and ideas that Jack’s mom had. Even though the book doesn’t specifically say she kept a diary, it would create a buzz about the book and create new interest so more people would decide to read. 

            Jack’s mother had been brainstorming years before he was even born. She told him she used to scream at night when Nick came into the room but with no luck. She eventually became violent with him which led to Nick becoming more mean. “‘ What I did was, I took the lid off the toilet, and I had the smooth knife as well, and just before nine one evening, I stood against the wall beside the door… Exactly. I smashed the toilet lid down on his head.’” (Donoghue 122-123). Hitting him on the head was an attempt to get the code to be able to escape the room. Nick gave her the code but it was the wrong one and she wasn’t able to get out. An event like this was probably something she wrote about before and after it happened. Her reaction to him and the situation would be some quite interesting writing and insight into her character.

            There was a scene in the book where that could be a good example that could be written in her diary. “I flick the switch. I hear a tiny sound that must be jeep’s wheels coming alive and then- SMASHSHSHSHSHSH… He’s shouting, what are you trying to pull?... Did you try something? Did you?’ His voice goes downer. ‘Because I told you before, it’s on your head if-’”(Donoghue 62-63).This scene was when Jack was in the wardrobe when Nick was in the room. Jack wanted to play with his remote control jeep so he turned it on and wakened Nick up in a roar. Nick thought it was Jack’s mom trying to do something so he became violent with her. She would have definitely written about this in her diary and would be a good inside look of her perspective.

            There are many possible moments in Room where Jack’s mom would have wanted/ needed to write about in a diary. This is especially true when she had Jack pretend to be dead so that there may be a way for them to escape their living hell. Thoughts must have been zooming around in her head about all the negative possibilities that could happen and it had to be incredibly difficult feeling helpless. “Then I’m lifted. I think it’s her and then I know it’s him. Don’t move don’t move don’t move jackerjack stay stiff stiff stiff. I’m squished in Rug, I can’t breathe right, but dead don’t breathe anyway” (Donoghue 172). The following excerpt is an example of what a diary entry would be like in response to the previous quote:

            I can’t believe what I have just done. I let Jack into that monsters hands and I may never see him again. I wish I could have thought of another way, a better way to get us out of this nightmare. Jack deserves much better than this. I just hope and pray that he will be safe and get help. I need him to be brave and I need him to be smart which I know he is     but he’s never been in a situation like this. I swear though, if he hurts Jack I will not hold    anything back and I will make that animal pay for it. I want to know that Jack will make it, that we both will make it. I can’t even express the emotions that are haunting me right          now. I can’t stand this place anymore and this will be the death of me if I stay here. I feel bad for rushing Jack on the escape but I knew after the power outage we could not be safe much longer, especially since Nick has no job. I just gotta get out of here, very, very soon. Please God, be with Jack and set us free.

            My idea will create much interest surrounding Emma Donoghue’s book because it offers a different perspective. Throughout the book I, along with probably many other readers, wondered what Jack’s mom thought in certain situations. Her journal will certainly intrigue people who have already read Room and are looking for a little more to the story. This idea will most definitely enhance the book.