Emma Donoghue Room

Some famous person once said: “‘Scared is what you’re feeling...’but brave is what you’re doing’”. So you sometimes have to be “‘Scaredybrave’” or “‘Scave’” (Donoghue, 116). Room is not a book for the light-hearted because indeed, you have to be scave to dive into this thrilling story. Room, by Emma Donoghue, is a captivating story that combines elements of a dark and horrific atmosphere; but Donoghue goes one step further by uniquely developing it into a tale that is ferocious and at the same time, beautiful. Donoghue is able to do so through her idiosyncratic choice of narration: the voice of a 5-year old boy named Jack. She also uses Jack’s distinctive case to form a conflict that is very deceptive to the reader, enchantingly pulling them

Do not fret; this is not a spoiler because it is written on the inside of the front cover. Room is a story, told through Jack’s perspective, about a mother and her son, Jack, who are imprisoned in an eleven by eleven foot room by a vile man referred to as Old Nick. However, there is a difference between Jack and his mother’s confinement: Jack’s mother, who is referred to as Ma by Jack, has been held captive in this room for seven years; whereas Jack has been born and raised there and so to him, this room is spelled with a capital “R”; in other words, Room is his dear

What could possibly make it stand out from the others? Donoghue answers with a precocious 5-year old boy from whom the perspective of the story is told. Through the voice of Jack, Donoghue exceptionally creates an image of his horrific world: every time Old Nick visits Ma’s bed at night, Jack pretends to be asleep and then “When Old Nick creaks Bed, [Jack] listen[s] and count[s] fives on [his] fingers…[Jack] always has to count till [Old Nick] makes that gaspy sound and stops” (37). This bone chilling rape scene is a great example of how Donoghue uses Jack’s perspective in a very unique way: through an ingenious and eccentric way of eavesdropping, the reader is able to understand Jack’s world without heavy exposition. We grow in knowledge as Jack grows, often comprehending more than Jack, creating a unique territory of emotional power. Jack believes Old Nick comes to Room for treats when the reality is much darker. Moreover, Donoghue uses Jack’s limited insight to transform a dreadful environment to a pleasant one. Normally, being in an eleven by eleven foot room would cause claustrophobia to set in, but Donoghue is able to use Jack’s vivid imagination to transform every inanimate object into life-like friends, meaning that there is a new adventure every day. From doing track to engaging in conversations with spiders and mice, Donoghue magically uplifts the