Fairytales in Room

Pretty early in Room, we see Ma and Jack talking about fairytales. Jack knows every story by heart, but still insists that Ma read them or recite them. These fairytales definitely serve as a form of entertainment for Jack. However, as we get deeper into the book, the role of the fairytales grow.

The mermaid story on the bottom of page 67 really stood out to me as a fairytale that has multiple roles. It really clicked that it had multiple roles after connecting the story to the previous pages, where Ma has just told Jack that there is a world outside of Room. Ma seemed really stressed out about talking about the outside.    

“It’s a real store.” Ma rubs her eye.

 “How--?”
 “OK, OK, OK.”
  Why is she shouting?
  “Listen, what we see on TV is… pictures of real things.”
  That’s the most astonishing thing I’ve ever heard.
  Ma’s got her hand over her mouth. (59)

Ma definitely didn’t mean to spill the beans about the outside, and ultimately ends up taking painkillers, getting into bed, and being “Gone” the next day. Telling Jack about the outside made Ma really sad. Later on, when Jack is asking her about the outside, she seems sad to be talking about it as well.

“Hmm,” says Ma, reading over my shoulder, “I think the kinds means kids in general.”

“What’s in general?”
             “Lots of kids.”

 I try and see them, the lots, all playing together. “Actual human ones?”

Ma doesn’t say anything for a minute, and then, “Yeah,” very quiet. (65)

In both cases, Ma sort of recoils and gets sad at any mention of the outside. Having lived in an 11x11 foot room for seven years, talking about the outside probably brings back so many memories and feelings-- which makes her sad-- so using the mermaid story to tell about her situation to Jack is a way to stay a bit distanced from the subject as well as communicate to Jack on a level he understands.

    We see her using fairytales to communicate with Jack in a way her understands later in the book too. This is when she’s gotten better at talking about the outside. However, she uses fairytales to the describe plans for escaping to Jack because he has a hard time processing the scary things Ma is asking of him. Ma uses the fairytales to instill the bravery that Jack needs within him and to give him the idea that this could be done because people did it in the fairytales.

    Now that they’re out of the room, I wonder what role the fairytales will play.