A Mile In Ma's Shoes

          In class, we have talked a lot about interpreting what we see of the real world as described by Jack.  His views and style of description are certainly not normal, and sometimes leave us guessing as to what could really be going on.  The core disconnect here is, I think, that Jack is essentially unable to put himself in the perspective of others.  This is, perhaps, something that every five-year-old is prone to, but Jack's specific situation likely exacerbates it.
          There are many examples of Jack simply not being able to empathize with others.  Much of the time, he is simply unable to understand the actions and reactions of others--for instance, his frequent bafflement at the rules of "politeness" and "manners" in the real world.  In some cases, though it sounds rather harsh, I feel that if Jack were simply to put some thought into things, he would understand them much better.  It is, however, quite likely that a large component of Jack's lack of empathy could be due to simply lacking the correct life experiences to be able to relate to others on any meaningful level.  From looking at this idea in a vacuum, it would seem that the person Jack would most be able to relate to would be Ma.  And, to an extent, this is true.  But there are still core disconnects between their perspectives that Jack makes little effort to bridge, even though I feel that he could.
          When Jack expresses a desire to revisit Room towards the end of the book, his insistence really hurts Ma.  At one point she says something along the lines of "If you would just think of someone besides yourself for one moment..."  And that is, I think, one of the core problems that Jack has.  He is very selfish.  I suppose that most children are like this to one extent or another, but even if they are it just goes to show how being raised in a completely different environment results in the same attitude, perhaps indicating a core aspect of human nature.
          Ma does not understand why Jack would want to go back to Room, even though it makes perfect sense from Jack's perspective.  Jack does not understand why Ma doesn't want to go back to Room.  Of the two perspectives, Ma's is the only one that is reasonable and based on an accurate assessment of the world--but Jack is unwilling or unable to consider the situation from Ma's perspective and realize why Room was not a good place to be.
          If this selfishness is a common trait among children, it again just shows how it is an innate trait independent, or at least less dependent, of environment.  This is the kind of experiment that behavioral scientists would love to be able to perform, but are unable to because of ethical concerns.  On the other hand, if this self-centeredness is more or less unique to Jack, it shows a distinctly unheroic aspect of Jack's character: his either refusal or inability to "walk a mile in the shoes" of another.

Merry Christmas

          Little kids believe in Santa.  Not always, and if they do, not because of any inherent belief, but because of their parents telling them about him.  Parents lie to their children about this, and the children believe them because they don't know any better.  Studies have shown that when the children inevitably find out or are told that "Santa Claus" is actually Mommy and Daddy, they experience a diminishing in trust for their parents that can last for years.
          Obviously, the situation being undergone by Ma and Jack is nothing like normal circumstances, but Ma especially attempts to maintain a semblance of normalcy.  In everyday life, if not in some of their stranger rituals, it seems almost like a normal mother and child going through a normal day.  And, just like other parents, Ma lies a lot to Jack.  She lies to make their situations seem normal.
          This next part can read like a bad conspiracy theory, so bear with me.  Old Nick is, in some ways, a twisted, cruel mockery of a "normal" childhood experience--that of Santa and the "benevolent" deception by your parents.  Besides the superficial similarity between their names--Old Nick and Saint Nick--there are several parallels that highlight the strange and horrible situation that Jack and Ma are in.
          We don't actually know whether Ma and Jack celebrate anything like Christmas in Room, but there are certainly bits of present-giving within the narrative.  First of all, Old Nick is the one who supplies Ma and Jack with everything they need.  This is highlighted by Jack's query as to why they don't give thanks to Old Nick rather than Baby Jesus.  In addition, however, Old Nick does get Jack an RC car for his birthday, a rather Santa-like gesture in its own way.
          Most significantly, however, Old Nick, like Santa in a normal childhood, is something that parents lie to their children about "for their own good."  Where Santa is no more than a cute lie to give Christmas time a magical quality, Ma's lies about Old Nick conceal his monstrosity from Jack until Ma thinks he is "ready."  Just as it is debatable whether the myth of Santa is any good, it is also dubious whether knowing all there is to know about Old Nick and Jack's situation is good or bad for Jack.  Ma concludes in the end that Jack should know, and tells him.  In a normal household, on the other hand, around five is usually the time in which the child is most convinced of Santa's existence.
          Lastly, in a twist that would be almost comical if it weren't absolutely horrible, both Old Nick and Saint Nick turn out to be the child's parents--or at least father.