Room:
"Don't you want to escape?"
"Yeah, only not really."
(pg.113)
Jack is born in a 11 foot by 11 foot room. He has never stepped out of it and has yet to see the world. Jack recently learns the truth about his situation. But this isn't what he is most intrigued by, Jack is far more overwhelmed by the fact that there are "real" things in the world, not just in the t.v. When he gets the chance to possibly go out into the real world, he is hesitant to do so. His Ma has a plan that might actually work but Jack is not willingly to go through with it just yet. Jack is use to being the most important person to his mother but when she tells Jack about her family, his grandparents, and uncle, Jack begins to show some jealously. Jack wants to maintain the relationship that they have now. He is not ready to leave the only home he knows. I can relate to Jack in several ways such as feeling unimportant and scared.
When my younger sister was born, I felt pushed aside. I thought everyone stopped loving me. It was not until after I changed my mindset because I realized I was overreacting and missing out on what really mattered. I think Jack is experiencing the same feeling when he wraps his head around the idea of sharing his Ma. Jack seemed scared to leave the room because he's afraid of loosing the relationship him and his ma have. It's as close as the room they are living in.
I can understand why Jack is unsure of escaping and being free. To him, the world is a scary place, something he hasn't experienced. Jack's Ma asked him "Don't you want to escape?" and he answered "Yeah, only not really." (pg.113) This reminds me of when I was 5 years old and it was my first day of kindergarten. I wanted to make new friends but I was afraid of being alone and not having my mom by my side. I remember feeling nervous and throughout the book I can see that Jack experiences it too. It is difficult to go from relying on someone and then suddenly having to adjust a new environment and becoming independent. School is a place where you learn and grow to become more independent which is exactly what I did. As for Jack, the world seems to be his school, he's learning and is slowly making steps to independence. Jack and I share the same emotions in these situations, only difference is that his circumstance is much more impacting on a life.
