The Shining

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Why do you think there are so many haunted or scary houses in gothic literature? Which stories come to mind when you think of spooky houses or buildings where unnatural things happen? What is it about houses that scare us so badly?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt relates to the theme Line Between Reality and Fiction. It may help to cite popular examples of gothic stories with haunted houses such as The Haunting of Hill House, Beetlejuice, or “The Fall of the House of Usher.”  You may want to discuss how the house in each example either affects or reflects a character’s Mental Health.

• “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe and a foundational gothic text with a sinister house at its center. The Shining alludes to Poe several times—Jack Torrance calls him “The Great American Hack”—and both the House of Usher and the mansion in “The Masque of the Red Death” are precursors of the Overlook Hotel.
• “How to Write a Psychological Thriller” is a MasterClass article defining the psychological thriller, detailing its main components, and providing examples from film and literature. This resource may be used to preface the genre and expectations of The Shining along with preparing students to read like writers.

2. Jack Torrance’s struggle with alcoholism is a central element of the story. What makes addiction an appropriate subject for a psychological horror novel such as The Shining? How can addiction, particularly alcohol addiction, cause people to act in ways that might seem improper?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt relates to the theme The Consequences of Addiction. It may help to define “addiction” with the class and give information about its effects. For best results, students should share personal stories of their experiences with addiction only if they choose to, and only after establishing  class norms that allow for a safe environment to share these stories, such as “Listen without judgment” or “What is shared in the group, stays with the group.”

• “The Link Between Violence and Alcohol Use” from American Addictions Centers shares research-based findings about violence resulting from addiction. Students may want to keep Jack’s dependence on alcohol in the front of their minds as they consider the reasons for the changes in his behavior.
• “Drug Addiction” is a MayoClinic article detailing how an addiction may occur, what happens in the brain during this time, and the various symptoms/consequences of addiction. This is an additional resource to help students who may not have had contact or life experience with addiction access the prompt.

Short Activity

In this short activity, students will prepare for reading The Shining by understanding the author and his work better. 

Utilizing qualified sources, research Stephen King’s biography and writing career. Identify his main influences, most notable works, and how he has earned the nickname the “Master of Horror.”

Then, find the cover art for the 1977 first edition of The Shining. Analyze the cover and make predictions about what the book might be about.   

Finally, after researching King’s background and analyzing the cover, make predictions about the main conflict of The Shining. Theorize about horror elements that might be present in the novel.

Teaching Suggestion: Consider providing specific, previewed internet sources for your students to utilize if you have specific information you would like them to identify. You may consider providing them these links via a QR code, bit.ly, or linked directly on a digital document.

• “Where to Start with Stephen King” from the New York Public Library is an expertly curated classification of King’s intimidating output.
• “Stephen King Biography” is an article specifically from Stephen King’s website detailing his life. This may be a resource given to students to help narrow their research and identify the most important and influential life experiences. It also has links to his other works and various covers of The Shining.

Differentiation Suggestion: To accommodate students who have difficulty getting started, consider using peer supports: group students based on their strengths and prior knowledge of King’s work and assign peer leaders. As King is a widely influential figure in popular culture today, any given population of students is likely to have one or two “King Super Fans” who can assist students who need help navigating this author’s prodigious output. If more assistance is necessary, encourage students to choose a theatrical trailer of one of King’s popular movie adaptations, such as Misery (1990), or It (2017).  

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

What do you believe are the key responsibilities and challenges that come with being a parent? Create a graphic organizer of your choice to show the many responsibilities and personal aspirations that parents try to manage at once. Share your answers with your peers and use their responses to add to your work.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may choose any graphic organizer they like, but you may want to recommend a mind map for simplicity. Consider breaking the students into small groups and asking them to share verbally. As they share, ask them to create a group graphic organizer on a large sheet of paper that will be presented to the whole class.

• “Modern Parenthood” by the Pew Research Center provides data regarding how parents split the workload of raising their child, along with various modern-day expectations of both mothers and fathers. This may be used as a jumping-off point for students or as empirical evidence for their claims.
• “How Do Your Parents Share the Responsibilities of Parenting?” is a New York Times Opinion article pulled from other NYT publications detailing the expectations of being a father. Students may read this article and discuss whether or not they agree with this ideology along with sharing their own experiences. (May require subscription to view).

Differentiation Suggestion: For students with speaking anxiety, consider allowing them to be the notetaker in their groups for them to share, listen, and contribute. Another idea may be to put them in a smaller group or utilize intentional grouping to ease the student into sharing.