ROOM "Beep beep. That's door [....] Boom that's door shutting and Old Nick is telling Ma how there wasn't any of something" (Donoghue pg.47).
This quote was said by the main character, a five year old boy named Jack, when his apparent father came into the room and began talking to his mother. He was forced by his mother to stay in the wardrobe so that Old Nick couldn't see, hear or touch him. The fact that Jack didn't question why they were trapped in the room relates to me because many festivals and rituals that are performed in my East Indian culture i never knew the reason for them growing up. I just went along with what my parents told me and didn't fully realize the importance. Although my non curiosity didn't involve me being in a life threatening situation, like Jack, thinking back on it now, i definitely missed out on a subsequent part of my background as a child. Similarly, Jack didn't know the importance of why they had scream time every day or why his mother made him punch in random numbers into the code machine for the door. He simply understood them as a game and a chance to have fun between eating and resting. Despite the so-called games they played, the biggest fact that was unknown to Jack was why they were even put in that dungeon-like space in the first place. Although, to be fair, for a boy who has spent his whole life in this very room, it is obvious that he doesn't know what kind of life other kids have so he is not to blame for his inexperienced childhood. After reading this book and looking back on my life, i begin to wonder how things would have been different if i was more educated on my culture. Would i have been able to enjoy the festivals more knowing the true sentimental meaning behind them? I will never know now but it does encourage me from now on to propose questions when i am unaware of events because more knowledge never hurts.
While everyone may not be able to understand Jack's lack of curiosity, my childhood aids me to relate to Jacks situation because like him i was remarkably close to my mother so i would just believe whatever she said. Also like him, at that age i was indifferent, but now as I'm older, i regret not asking those questions and when Jack grows up I'm sure he will ask his Ma this question. Why were we limited to that eleven by eleven foot room?
