Room Part 2: Unlying Quotes

Room Part 2: Unlying Quotes

How we cite the quotes:
[Part.Paragraph]

Ma

Quote 1

"I forgot to say, of course she takes her baby, JackerJack, with her, he's all knotted up in her hair." (2.215)

Ma often tells stories about heroic children named Jack. However, in this story, it's more about the character's mother and how she escapes… and how she almost forgets to bring her child with him. What's the significance of this story, and this omission?

Jack

Quote 2

"I thought he was going to punish us too." I try to imagine. "Like if there were two Rooms, if he put me in one and you in the other one." (2.430)

Ma is the only person Jack knows, so he is incredibly close to her. To him, the worst punishment is to be separated from his mother. That's awfully sweet… and borderline Norman Bates, but he's only five, so we're sticking with "sweet" for now.

Ma

Quote 3

Ma stops, she puffs out a long breath. "I need to hit something," she says, "but I don't want to break anything." "Why not?" "Actually, I'd love to break something. I'd love to break everything." (2.605-2.607)

With the power out in Room, Ma feels increasingly trapped and she wants to break out even more. But she can't. So the urge to break out becomes the urge to simply break something in order to vent all that pent-up rage at being pent up.