Outside

        They made it outside and I was expecting all their problems to be solved, but I guess since the escape happened only halfway through the book I should have known that wouldn't be the case. While I'm immensely relieved that they are out of Room and away from the immediate danger of Old Nick, the process of adjusting to the new world still seems like a pretty grueling and unpleasant task, especially for Jack who thought he was done being the hero. I thought the interaction between Ma and Jack right after Ma is rescued is quite sad and reflective of the problems Jack is going to face from now on: Ma tells him "we're never going back" and Jack starts "crying so much [he] can't stop." As a reader able to pick up on the cruelty of their situation and the abuse of Ma and poor health of Jack, it is almost incomprehensible to us that Jack would rather be in Room than outside. Yet from what we've seen of Jack's character and daily life inside Room, I guess it isn't hard to understand that playing games all day with 1 person who loves you would feel more comforting than suddenly being surrounded by strangers and having entirely new possessions and getting shots and medications all day. It's clear from the little bit we've read of Jack in the hospital, that the book can't end yet because Jack is still far from okay and in fact seems to be in a much less healthy emotional and mental state than he was when we first met him, as an optimistic little kid playing around. He's also having trouble with his depth perception, his walking, and separation anxiety with Ma. I thought the scene where Ma tries to take a shower was especially representative of how scary this all is for Jack.
        This "After" section is also the part where I think it's even more important that Jack is narrating instead of Ma, because Jack gives us this chaotic and overwhelming view of the outside that's intriguing to me because I have no way of really understanding what it must be like for him, and neither does Ma really. Whereas Ma is much easier for us to understand and hers is the more normal reaction and recovery we would expect. Ma doesn't even pick up on all the things that are stressing Jack out, and hearing from Jack instead gives us a really different twist on how "heroic" this escape has really been. Can you call it a hero's journey if the hero regrets their actions and is more miserable than before? I know Jack is relieved to be free from Old Nick, but I think it's clear he misses parts of Room and doesn't quite understand the full benefits of being outside yet. Perhaps Jack's heroism is more in his choosing to act to save Ma instead of only thinking of his own wishes. I think that Jack will improve over the course of the book, but for now it is certainly upsetting to see how lost Jack feels in this outside world that doesn't seem real to him.

Ma and Jack

        So far in Room, one of the things that has really stuck out to me is the relationship between Ma and Jack and how important it is for both of their survivals. They've literally never been away from each other for five years, and as a result they are extremely close. While we can see it is tough for Ma to interact with a five-year-old 24/7, it's also clear through her protectiveness of Jack (especially in regards to Old Nick) that Jack is her whole world now and pretty much the only thing keeping her alive. Jack notices after his 5th birthday that he and Ma have been fighting more, but after the power goes off and Ma starts confiding more in Jack, I think we see their relationship become even closer. During the power outage both of them are scared for how they will keep eating when they have no food, and they have to run around to keep warm and they have no water. While Ma takes this as extreme punishment, Jack replies that a real punishment would be being separated from Ma: "Like if there were two Rooms, if he put me in one and you in the other one."

        I've also been really impressed with the games Ma and Jack play together, ranging from word sandwiches to "Parrot" to rhyming games and guessing song lyrics. As a result of his confinement, Jack has turned out to be an intensely creative child since he has few actual toys or other kids to play with and there really isn't anything else for him to do. Ma feels stifled by this situation and gets sick of playing all the time, but Jack seems to largely enjoy himself. Even though he's never even seen grass or smelled fresh air, Jack is content as a giant-killer and a coal miner, he "plays Icarus with his wings melting" and has a box spaceship, and is constantly imagining things and keeping himself entertained. I think Jack's imagination is incredible and gives him a sense of excitement and optimism that makes sense as we realize Jack is actually attached to Room and likes it, in sharp contrast with Ma. In fact this point seems to have caused the most tension so far between Ma and Jack: Ma's criticism of Room. Jack describes himself as "nearly growling" as he rebukes Ma's statement of Room being stinky and it takes a lot of convincing from Ma to get Jack to listen to her escape plan because nothing about the outside world is immediately appealing to Jack. While Ma can't wait to leave Room and only associates it with pain, it's literally all Jack knows.  I think their closeness is really the heart of the novel right now and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain their close relationship while they escape, since Jack is already struggling to trust Ma quite as much and realize that she doesn't know everything. He's started to say "I hate her" and Ma has been forced to push Jack past everything he's comfortable with. I can't help but wonder if Jack will have some jealousy problems if they're able to escape, since Ma will want to see other people and Jack won't be used to having to share her attention. At the same time they are so completely devoted to each other and have undergone so much together it's hard to imagine anything ruining their bond. It's basically a pretty emotionally intense situation right now and i'm definitely in suspense for what will happen with their escape plan.

As I Lay Running...??

       One of the things that struck me while reading about Smithy and his various encounters with people who instantly judge him, is how much Smithy reminds me, in a few ways, of Dewey Dell from As I Lay Dying. To begin with, The Memory of Running and AILD have some similarities in that the main character(s) embark on a seemingly ridiculous and pointless journey to honor someone who has died, and along the way they encounter a lot of people who are critical of them, have to overcome severe setbacks, lose almost everything (I guess in AILD this would be all the kids, not Anse), and come home with something other than what they set out for. In Smithy's case, this would be a relationship with and love for Norma, and for Anse it was a new wife (although it appears he did set out with this in mind, he just never shared it with the reader until the end). Both stories are also much more about the ridiculous journey to get there than they are about the destination. Burying Addie is supposed to be this hugely important and meaningful thing and yet it's done in a few sentences, with a majority of the character development (Cash stepping up as a leader, Darl going insane, etc.) happening over the arduous trip to Jefferson. Likewise, Smithy's visit with Bethany's body is brief compared to the weeks he spends biking to see her, because the real journey for him happens on the road as he learns to let go of the past and embrace a new future with Norma and people, who he has discovered aren't so bad.

       But Smithy reminds me much more of Dewey Dell than of Anse. While Smithy is certainly a much easier narrator to comprehend, both he and Dewey Dell are kind of "lost" characters at the beginning of their respective journeys, with Dewey Dell unable to ask for help and Smithy unable to express his emotions other than drinking and smoking. Neither seem particularly mentally astute, with Dewey Dell's nonsensical narrative voice and emotional connection to a cow, and Smithy constantly telling us how awkward and stupid he is (his conversational skills being limited to "It's raining"). Yet I think both McLarty and Faulkner mean for the reader to feel a sense of attachment or endearment to these characters, instead of judging them as pathetic. After following their stories and their mindsets, we get to know Smithy and his background, and we understand the dilemma Dewey Dell faces and the difficulty of her situation, so to us their actions seem normal and justifiable; we forget what they look like to other people. Even with Smithy constantly reminding us that he's fat, we forget how crazy he looks until he gets beat up by a police officer and shot. We get so concerned with Dewey Dell's safety that we forget she is a poor country girl who doesn't know much of anything, until she's judged and taken advantage of by multiple shop owners. In both cases I found myself feeling very defensive of those characters; I was angered when Smithy is beat up when he was the one hit by a car, and I was upset when Mosely and MacGowan ridicule Dewey Dell for walking barefoot and not knowing exactly what she wanted. As a reader I have a relationship with both of these clueless characters that can't be understood by the outside world.

        Dewey Dell and Smithy have some obvious differences as well, but their simplicity in the face of intense emotional trauma and inner turmoil makes them relatable in my mind.