Throughout history, general socialization has been regarded as an important stepping stone for children to become well-rounded individuals. Many psychologists in the past, including Abraham Maslow, have included socialization in their studies of human 's needs. In Emma Donoghue 's Room Jack and Ma live in a shed in the backyard of Ma 's kidnapper, Old Nick. Jack has lived there his entire life and although he and Ma have each other, that 's not enough to satisfy the innate need for interaction. Though Jack was not orphaned, his behavior is much like that of orphans who are not properly socialized while in orphanages. Jon Bardin’s article “Social Deprivation Hurts Child Brain Development” about Romanian orphans from the Bucharest Early Intervention
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In Donoghue 's novel, this is what happens to Jack. Jack is a 5 year old boy who has always lived in Room with Ma. In Room, Jack is familiar with everything; Rug is stained from where he 'spilled ' into the world, Meltedy Spoon is his favorite because it 's because it 's not the same as all the others, and there is nothing beyond Room. Ma has taught him everything he knows; she taught him how to read and how to do arithmetic at an early age, all in the confines of their small living area with an array of different types of games and activities. Because Ma doesn 't want to upset Jack with the knowledge of the things she can 't give him, Ma tells him the things on TV and the things beyond Room only exist on other planets. Jack has never seen live grass, interacted with anyone other than Ma, and hasn 't seen an animal any bigger than a mouse. Ma has protected Jack in such a way, that he doesn 't understand how much he has been deprived. Half way through the book Ma and Jack make their escape and Jack 's entire world is shifted. The two of them have never been apart, not even for a moment, so when they make their way into the real world, Jack isn 't able to cope with the changes forced upon him. After such a traumatic experience, Ma is also going to have a hard time coping with the changes as well. With mental issues plaguing her, Ma is, what Jack refers to as 'Gone ', throughout most of the second half of the book. While Ma is 'recuperating ', from a mental breakdown and a suicide attempt, Jack explores the world with his grandma and her new life partner. Jack, never having been in the real world, has a hard time adjusting to the new set of rules that he has been given. While with his new family, Jack develops a sense of a conscience and knowing that Ma 's teachings are still there with
In Donoghue 's novel, this is what happens to Jack. Jack is a 5 year old boy who has always lived in Room with Ma. In Room, Jack is familiar with everything; Rug is stained from where he 'spilled ' into the world, Meltedy Spoon is his favorite because it 's because it 's not the same as all the others, and there is nothing beyond Room. Ma has taught him everything he knows; she taught him how to read and how to do arithmetic at an early age, all in the confines of their small living area with an array of different types of games and activities. Because Ma doesn 't want to upset Jack with the knowledge of the things she can 't give him, Ma tells him the things on TV and the things beyond Room only exist on other planets. Jack has never seen live grass, interacted with anyone other than Ma, and hasn 't seen an animal any bigger than a mouse. Ma has protected Jack in such a way, that he doesn 't understand how much he has been deprived. Half way through the book Ma and Jack make their escape and Jack 's entire world is shifted. The two of them have never been apart, not even for a moment, so when they make their way into the real world, Jack isn 't able to cope with the changes forced upon him. After such a traumatic experience, Ma is also going to have a hard time coping with the changes as well. With mental issues plaguing her, Ma is, what Jack refers to as 'Gone ', throughout most of the second half of the book. While Ma is 'recuperating ', from a mental breakdown and a suicide attempt, Jack explores the world with his grandma and her new life partner. Jack, never having been in the real world, has a hard time adjusting to the new set of rules that he has been given. While with his new family, Jack develops a sense of a conscience and knowing that Ma 's teachings are still there with