Analysis Of Danny Torrance s The Night - 1311 Words

Belle Doraz American Lit Honors Mr. Young 1 March, 2017 Isolated and Ill Danny Torrance is a clever five year old boy. He loves his father, Jack, and often times waits for him to return from work for hours at a time. Danny, despite the love he has for his father, is isolated from feeling loved by Jack. Jack has physically abused Danny many times in Danny’s short life. The first instance was when Jack dropped Danny on his head as a baby while Jack was heavily intoxicated. According to studies done by John M. Grohol, Psy.D., head trauma at an early age can be the beginning of mental illness and can initiate psychological issues in the future. â€Å"Psychiatric issues, including hallucinations and delusions, are certainly more common after†¦show more content†¦Although King never explicitly states that Danny was sexually abused, it can be inferred because of the sexual nature of some of Danny’s Hallucinations, â€Å"I m going to eat you up, little boy. And I think I ll start with your plump, little cock. (King 494) This disturbing sentence was said, in Danny’s mind, by a man who appeared to be dressed up like a dog. This apparition that Danny sees signifies that he has been sexually abused because most five year old would never be able to imagine something as gruesome and perverted as he did. This sexual knowledge not only separates him from his family but also from other children his age. This is most likely the cause of his inability to make friends. Also, the fact that the one saying the sexual threat was someone in a costume, furthers the proof that it was only from Danny’s mind because children shows (that Danny is described watching in the start of the story) often contains characters that are simply men dressed up as animals. Another sense of isolation that Danny experiences is the absence of friends in his life. Danny does not know any other children his age. His only friend is a dangerous figment of his imagination . His mother, Wendy, says that Danny started talking to the imaginary friend right around the time when his father lost his job and began isolating Danny even more than usual. This â€Å"friend† (caused by his hallucinations, brain damage, and neglect) bring Danny