Relationships in Room

• Ma and Jack
  • Unhealthy co-dependant
• Ma and Old Nick
  • Non-consensual, Ma held against her will
• Jack and Old Nick
  • Biological, but there is no emotional attachment
• Jack and Steppa/Leo
  • Not biological but they have a bond and are close
• Jack and Grandma
  • Grandma is very patient and accepts Jack as he is, she encourages him rather than pressuring him
• Ma and Grandma
  • Ma challenges Grandma, similar to a teenager rebelling against their parents

Not as important

• Jack and Dr. Clay
  • Allows Jack to voice his concerns
• Jack and Noreen
  • Noreen encourages, Jack
• Uncle Paul, Deana and Bronwyn
  • Expects Jack to be like any other 5 year old
• Office “Oh”

Ma and Jack

Man and Jack have a mother and son relationship, but it is much more co-dependant and has less boundaries than usual. This is obviously because for Jack’s entire life, so far they were stuck in Room. When they leave Room they aren’t together as much Ma and Jack both struggle to adjust to this.

Key Moments

When they escape room Jack struggles to be away from Ma and let Ma be her own person. When Jack is staying with grandma, he finds it hard to cope being away from Ma and he struggles to sleep without Ma. He constantly asks when she will come back and cuts off his hair and sends it to Ma to give her strength.

When Ma gets out of the clinic, she wants Jack all to herself and refuses to let Grandma help out, so her has time to get better because she raised Jack alone so far and finds it hard to accept help from anyone and to loosen her control of Jack because she wants to protect him in this new world.

Ma and Old Nick

The relationship between Ma and Old Nick is non-consensual and abusive. Old Nick kidnapped Ma and has held her captive for seven years for his own sexual gratification. He has her imprisoned in an eleven foot by eleven foot room, with no means to escape. Ma at times tries to appease Old Nick by luring him away from Jack and into bed. Any time that Ma tries to escape he physical punishes her, to put her back under his control. Ma keeps Jack away from Old Nick in order to protect Jack.