In class, the "what-if" discussion concerning Jack Torrance really got me thinking. If they had never gone to the Overlook hotel, would Jack have eventually ended becoming abusive? Now its obvious he wouldn't have ended as badly as he did at the Overlook, but would he eventually have turned his inner troubles and angers on Wendy and Danny regardless of the Overlook? In class I argued that he wouldn't, and I think it's because King was so good at getting me to sympathize with Jack. In the book, I saw him as a man who had indeed made a number of horrible mistakes, the worst of which breaking his son's arm, but throughout the novel he seemed to be regretting that, trying to attone for it. The fact is that King made me want to believe Jack was on the road to improvement, when the big bad Overlook went and screwed things up. Looking more objectively at his character though, I find myself reluctantly agreeing that Jack probably would have lost his temper again somewhere down the road. Regardless of what it would be, something would set him off. I would like to point out, however, that in the TV special of "The Shining," King had a direct influence on the screenplay, and was involved in the making of that movie to be certain it was a more accurate portrayal of his book. In the ending of that movie, Danny is grown up, at his graduation, and fully capapble of handling his shine now. In the back of the audience, as he is taking his diploma, he sees his father, smiling at him, proud of his son, and Danny, not surprised in the least, smiles back. This ending is a bit more final than the ending of the book, and I can't help but think that maybe King had something to do with that ending, giving us his idea of what happens after his book ends.