Jack's Authenticity In The Novel Room By G. Wells

Authenticity lies in having the novel Room told through Jack’s interpretation. This is the case, because in terms of Ma’s character, Jack maintains a stronger agency through his voice. The character and voice of Ma in the novel is one that is controversial, inevitably because of her history as a child. The fact that she was kidnapped and rapped maintains the notion that if she were telling that story, the reader would be getting a more nostalgic side of the story. The story would be transformed completely. It would be more focused on how she came to be in the situation that she has been placed in, which would leave Jack in a different position in terms of the narrative. He would clearly be limited in character and more importantly voice. Seemingly, …show more content…
By having a child protagonist it shows that all individuals are equal and that power is not restricted in terms of the child. Interestingly, through Ma’s journey throughout the novel she learns what is most important in her life and that is Jack. He is without a doubt the hero in the story with the help of Ma. He subconsciously comes up with a way to escape, which represents his growth as a child. He is the one that helps both him and Ma escape room and it is seen in the text when Ma tells Jack that he means more than anything to her. Ma states, “You’re the one who matters, though. Just you.” (Donoghue, 128) This shows how although room has been an undesirable and claustrophobic space in her life, it has made her realize that Jack is the reason that they have to escape so that she can provide Jack with a better childhood than hers. She wants Jack to be a part of the outside world. Jack may not understand why he is so important, but what’s significant is that he hears this coming from his mother and that he knows it. Through the narrative although Jack’s perspective might be more limited, his voice doesn’t have to …show more content…
Significantly, another reason why Jack is a more reliable narrator than Ma is that Ma doesn’t even have a name in the story. The notion of names is significant in this novel. We only know Ma as a mother and not as a person, which limits her personal identity. Where we know Jack, as Jack and as a 5-year-old boy in the story. The notion that this novel is fiction, but is based on realism ties into the notion of young realism, which is exhibited through Jack as the narrator. Catherine Sheldrick Ross discusses this concept. She mentions what a narrator is supposed to be bringing to the reader. She states “The reader’s ability to identify with the central protagonist or narrator draws the reader into the text and helps him or her possess imaginatively the experiences the book represents.” (Ross, 184) This represents that Jack’s agency as the child narrator helps the reader identify how Jack explores family situations and sheds light on broader issues like the bond between a mother and a child. How Jack is not passive in his thinking, which allows the story to maintain action, which is what a narrator is supposed to do in a