Jack Torrance has a job interview with Stuart Ullman for the caretaker position at the Overlook Hotel. The hotel has 110 guest rooms. Jack has a wife named Wendy and a five-year-old son named Danny. From the beginning, Jack doesn't like Ullman.
During the interview, Ullman reveals that he didn't want to hire Jack. However, Al Shockley, a member of the Board of Directors, overruled him. Ullman provides Jack with a history of the hotel, stating that it was under construction from 1907 to 1909. After World War II, a wealthy man named Horace Derwent purchased the hotel. In 1970, Shockley bought the Overlook, and Ullman became the manager. This is the first year the hotel has made a profit.
Ullman is aware that Jack is recovering from alcohol addiction. He also knows that Jack used to be an English teacher but lost his job due to his temper. Jack reminds Ullman of Delbert Grady, the former caretaker who drank excessively and killed his wife and daughters before taking his own life. People attributed the tragedy to cabin fever. Ullman thanks Jack for the interview and hands him over to Mr. Watson.
In Boulder, Colorado, Wendy watches Danny play while their upstairs neighbors are fighting. Danny asks his mother why Jack lost his job. Wendy explains that Jack used to coach the debate team and cut a boy named George Hatfield from the team. In response, George slashed Jack's tires. Danny questions if Jack hurt George, just like he hurt Danny for spilling beer on Jack's papers. In reality, George hit his head while falling after Jack hit him. Danny asks if Wendy wants to live at the hotel, to which she responds that she does if Jack wants it. Concerned about Danny's loneliness, Wendy goes upstairs and cries.
Mr. Watson shows Jack the furnace and explains the failsafe system to him. During the tour, Jack keeps recalling the day he hurt Danny. While drinking and working on his play, Danny accidentally spilled beer on Jack's pages. In anger, Jack grabbed Danny's hand to make him let go of the typewriter eraser and ended up breaking Danny's arm. He felt that Wendy hated him that day, which further fueled his desire to drink.
Watson then shows Jack the boiler. One of Jack's important responsibilitiesis to release the pressure from the boiler if it becomes too high, as it may explode. As a side note, Watson mentions that he always knew Grady would be troublesome. Grady's daughters were eight and six years old. Ullman tried to keep the incident out of the newspapers, as he did with other scandals.
Watson also tells Jack about a 60-year-old woman who committed suicide with sleeping pills after her young lover left her. A week later, a maid claimed to have seen her in the bathtub in her hotel room, but Watson himself has never seen a ghost. They discuss the task of re-shingling the roof, and Jack wonders about Grady's final moments. As usual, Jack yearns for a drink.
Danny is aware that his parents worry about his loneliness. He understands a lot about them, even when they don't realize it. He knows that they refer to drinking as the "Bad Thing," which is their way of addressing Jack's alcoholism. Danny often sees the word "divorce" in their thoughts, including those of his parents. Whenever his mother thinks about divorce, her inner turmoil centers around Danny's broken arm and Jack's incident with George Hatfield.
Sometimes, when Danny concentrates, he sees a small companion named Tony. Tony often shows Danny things that might happen in the future. Tony communicates through images and words. One day, before Danny saw Tony, he saw the word "suicide" in Jack's thoughts. When Tony calls to him, he is usually at a distance, trying to get Danny to come closer. Once, Danny knew where his father's papers were, even though Jack himself didn't know. Danny claims that Tony showed him. He
is aware that his parents worry about Tony.
Suddenly, Danny hears his father's thoughts, which are focused on shingles. He sees Tony and moves towards him as darkness surrounds his vision. He witnesses the symbol for poison in the air, along with warnings about live electrical wires. Danny sees the word "REDRUM" and hears the sound of breaking glass. Someone repeatedly screams "REDRUM." He also sees a figure holding a hammer, urging him to come and take his medicine.
Danny wakes up and sees his father's red VW bug arriving. Jack carries a bag of groceries, and they enter the house. Danny continues to think about the word "REDRUM" seen in the mirror.
Jack parksat a mall and leaves Danny in the car while he uses a phone booth. Jack feels embarrassed about his current situation. A year ago, he was teaching at Stovington, a prestigious prep school, and had several published short stories. However, his temper caused him to lose everything. He was close to obtaining tenure before George Hatfield entered his life. When Al Shockley informed him that the Board had voted against keeping him, except for Shockley, Jack decided to avoid going to a bar and went to Al's house instead.
Jack and Al became friends because they both drank more than anyone else at faculty functions. Jack even contemplated suicide when his self-loathing became too severe. He remembers making excuses to Wendy for his drinking. A month after Jack broke Danny's arm, he and Al were driving drunk when Al hit a bike in the street without a rider. That incident led Al to quit drinking.
Jack recalls telling Wendy that Danny's broken arm was just an accident, but Wendy started talking about separation. Just before their conversation, where she was going to insist on a divorce, Jack asked for one week before they spoke again. He made the decision to never drink again.
When Al answers the phone, Jack expresses gratitude for helping him get the job at the Overlook Hotel. Al congratulates him and mentions that he thinks he can convince the Board to reconsider Jack's removal. Back in the car, Danny tells his father about a dream he had where Jack
hurt him.
After Wendy and Jack have sex that night, Wendy reflects on their past. They met in college and moved in together after a semester. Jack played a role in helping Wendy break away from her domineering mother. Early on in their relationship, Jack asked for a brief separation to see if Wendy would choose him over her father, who held a significant influence over her. Wendy chose Jack, and he proposed immediately, but her mother did not attend their wedding.
The birth of Danny helped reconcile Wendy with her mother. Wendy stayed at home to take care of Danny, and Jack's drinking was under control at the time. He would write for an hour each day and was well-respected. Wendy enjoyed listening to his lengthy conversations with students in their home.
Jack secured the job at Stovington because of his four published short stories.The night his story was accepted by Esquire, Jack celebrated with his friends and arrived home drunk at four in the morning, accidentally dropping Danny.
Wendy recalls the morning after Danny's arm was broken, when she had planned to ask for a divorce and had been considering it for six months. She was surprised when Jack asked for a week away, and even more surprised as the weeks passed without him drinking. She never knew what changed Jack, but she assumed there must have been an important incident involved.
Wendy felt both awe and dread towards Danny. His face had been covered with a caul at birth, a rare but harmless membrane that superstitious people believed to be a sign of precognitive abilities. She admits to herself that Danny was the main reason she stayed with Jack, as Danny adored his father and she didn't want to deprive her son of that relationship. She believed Danny was against divorce, even though he was too young to fully understand it.
Danny wakes up, once again hearing the voice of the man with the
hammer. He looks out of his window at the street and hears Tony calling to him. Then he sees the word "REDRUM" against a black backdrop.
Wendy is concerned that their Volkswagen bug might not be able to handle the drive through the mountains. Danny, on the other hand, enjoys the mountains and pays attention to a sign that mentions SideWinder Pass, which is the farthest point reached by snowplows in the winter. Wendy's thoughts drift to the Donner Party, a group of pioneers who became stranded in the mountains and resorted to cannibalism to survive. She also asks about the pantry at the Overlook Hotel.
They reach a scenic overlook where they can see the Overlook Hotel across the canyon. Danny holds onto the guardrail and suddenly turns gray and starts shaking, but he tells his parents he is fine. Unbeknownst to them, Danny had a vision of the Overlook, where a figure chased him with a hammer, ordering him to take his medicine. Tony, his supernatural companion, had warned him about the dangers of the Overlook, and it's also where he saw the word "REDRUM."
Upon arriving at the Overlook, Mr. Ullman warmly greets Danny. Wendyrecalls her honeymoon at the Beekman Tower in New York, which was a happy time for her and Jack. They witness a clerk dealing with a difficult woman named Mrs. Brant, who is arguing about her American Express card. Ullman steps in and somehow manages to appease Mrs. Brant. Danny senses that Ullman was only pretending to like her. He also senses that the Overlook brings back happy memories for Wendy. Danny tries not to dwell on Tony's warnings that don't always come true and doesn't want to bring up anything negative since his parents seem happy.
Outside, they observe the roque court, a game similar to croquet, surrounded by topiary animals, including three lions. Jack mentions that
if he doesn't trim them, they will lose their shape and appear to move. Danny witnesses a bellboy handling Mrs. Brant's luggage and overhears her thoughts, but he resists the urge to ask his mother what it means. As they sit on a couch together, Danny is glad that his parents seem content but also worried about something.
Dick Hallorann, the head cook who is tall and African American, befriends Danny and gives them a tour of the kitchen. The abundance of food reminds Wendy of the Donner Party once again, and she recalls that when Danny broke his arm, the medics arrived in just 10 minutes. However, if something were to happen to Danny during the snowy season, it would take much longer for help to arrive from Sidewinder.
Hallorann calls Danny "Doc," and Jack explains that it's their nickname for him. Hallorann suggests that Danny must simply have a face that looks like a "Doc." When Hallorann looks at Danny, Danny hears Hallorann's voice in his head, asking if he's sure he doesn't want to go to Florida.
Hallorann shows them the turkey he left for their Thanksgiving meal. He then shares a story about one of Watson's descendants, a caretaker and his youngest son who were at the hotel during a winter. The old man died when he accidentally put his finger in a light socket. Hallorann proceeds to show them the bar, known as The Colorado Lounge, which is not stocked with alcohol during the offseason. Wendy, feeling uneasy without understanding why, wishes they could leave. Hallorann takes Danny outside and asks him to help with his bags.
Hallorannand Danny have a conversation outside. Hallorann tells Danny that he has a special ability called "The shining," which his grandmother also recognized. Hallorann mentions that Danny has the strongest "shine" he has ever seen. Danny shares his experience of hearing Mrs. Brant's thought, which makes Hallorann laugh. As an experiment, Hallorann asks Danny to think at him with as much force as possible, and Danny thinks, "Hi Dick!" This causes Hallorann to twitch, as
if shocked. Danny reveals that he can tell what other people are thinking, but only if their thoughts are loud or intense. Hallorann asks about Tony, and Danny realizes that Hallorann is concerned about him and his family.
Danny explains that Tony has been giving him nightmares about the Overlook, and Hallorann empathizes with him. Hallorann then shares his own experience of the strongest shine he ever had. In 1955, while in the Army and stationed in Germany, Hallorann smelled oranges, which signaled a vision was coming. Shortly after, a mess hall kitchen exploded when a railway car derailed. Hallorann instantly knew that his brother Carl had died on the train. When he called his mother to deliver the news, she already knew, despite it being seemingly impossible. Hallorann emphasizes that not every vision comes true, even though this one did.
Hallorann acknowledges that he has witnessed disturbing things at the hotel, but he gives Danny a sanitized version of the events. He mentions that a maid was fired for claiming to have seen something bad in Room 217, and Hallorann himself once thought he saw something happen with the hedge animals. Hallorann advises Danny to stay away from Room 217. Although Hallorann admits to looking into the room and seeing something, he reassures Danny that it is not dangerous. Danny reflects on the story of Bluebeard and his forbidden room. Hallorann doesn't believe there is anything at the Overlook that can actually harm them, saying, "I don't think there's anything there that can hurt you." However, Hallorann recalls what he saw in Room 217 and expresses concern for the family as they prepare to spend the winter there.
Wendy asks Danny what he and Hallorann talked about, and when he shrugs, it reminds her of Jack. She secretly feels jealous of the closeness between Danny and his father. As the workers begin to leave, Wendy finds the growing silence oppressive.
Ullmanprovides them with a tour of the hotel. When they reach the Presidential Suite upstairs, Danny notices the wallpaper, which appears to be covered in blood and brain tissue. Hallorann had advised him to look away, and when he looks back, the wallpaper appears normal. However, the bloodstain quickly reappears. Danny tries to be quiet and
not disturb his parents' peace.
While walking down a hall on the third floor, Danny feels unnerved by a fire extinguisher for reasons he cannot explain. It's a normal object, but he senses something unnatural about it and almost feels as if it is watching him. They pass Room 217 on their way to their lodgings, and Danny tries not to think about it. Surprisingly, he finds that he loves his bedroom. Downstairs, Watson reminds Jack once again to check the boiler pressure frequently. After Watson leaves, Danny feels a profound sense of loneliness.
Ullman departs from the hotel, leaving the Torrance family alone. Jack feels as though the hotel has doubled in size now that they are the only ones there.
Jack is working on the roof when he gets stung by a wasp. Meanwhile, Danny and Wendy are in Sidewinder. It has been three weeks since they arrived at the Overlook, and both Jack and Wendy are feeling good. Jack's writing is going well, and positive encouragement from his agent has lifted his spirits. While dealing with the wasp's nest, Jack starts to view himself as a victim, reflecting on various memories of incidents caused by his temper. He sees the wasp's nest as a metaphor for his life and decides to make the wasps pay for stinging him.
Jack is reading a novel when Danny and Wendy return from Sidewinder. Danny shows Jack a new model car that Wendy bought for him. Although Wendy says she has never been happier during their marriage, she expresses concern about Danny losing weight. Jack shows them the empty wasp's nest, which has been destroyed by the bug bomb. He tells Danny that he can put it in his room. Wendy feels nervous and dislikes anything that stings.
Wendy listens proudly as Jack types, believing he can finish his play, "The Little School," by the end of theyear. She watches Danny read, feeling uneasy at times due to his ability to learn quickly. Wendy sends Danny to the bathroom and waits in his room, where she notices the wasp's nest. However, Danny doesn't come out of the bathroom and doesn't respond to their calls. Jack breaks the door open and finds Danny sitting on the edge of the bathtub in a trance, holding his toothbrush. Danny appears terrified and babbles about the roque court and the mallet. When he regains consciousness, he apologizes and mentions Tony telling him to lock the door. Danny talks about going into the mirror to find Tony. Jack puts him to bed while Wendy waits in her room. Danny asks Jack if he would ever hurt them, and Jack reassures him that he wouldn't.
Danny falls asleep, and Jack feels embarrassed about his temper. He was only worried about Danny, but intense emotions often turn into anger for him, making him want to drink. Jack tells Wendy that if something else happens, he will send them to her mother's. He mentions Danny's upcoming doctor's appointment. That night, Danny dreams of being chased by someone with a mallet. He wakes up to wasps crawling on his hand and being stung 11 times. Jack takes Polaroid photos of the stings as potential evidence for a lawsuit and believes the bug bomb was defective. He has an irrational thought that it was the hotel, not the wasps, that stung Danny. Jack resolves never to lose his temper again, "no matter what."
In Sidewinder, Dr. Bill Edmonds examines Danny using an electroencephalograph to determine if he has epilepsy. Dr. Edmonds asks Danny questions about his trance-like spells. When they are alone, Dr. Edmonds asks about Tony. Danny shares that Tony showed him where Jack's writing was on the day he broke his arm. Tony used to show him things that would happen or help him find lost things, but now he only shows Danny scary things like "REDRUM." Dr. Edmonds asks Danny to try summoning Tony, but Danny only hears his mother's thoughts about her mother and sister. Eventually, Tony shows him a glimpse of Jack
looking through old boxes with a flashlight. Danny hears the sound of the boiler's pounding, and Dr. Edmonds wakes him up. Danny can only remember his mother thinking about her sister Aileen, who died ina car accident. Dr. Edmonds informs Jack and Wendy about Danny's trance, including the fact that Danny no longer believes they are considering divorce. This revelation shocks them since they never discussed separation in front of Danny. Jack shares his history of alcoholism and breaking Danny's arm with Dr. Edmonds. Dr. Edmonds explains that small children are great accepters and don't understand shame or the need to hide things. Wendy mentions precognition and second sight, but Dr. Edmonds refuses to believe in them. Wendy thinks about various private things that Danny has known without any rational explanation. Dr. Edmonds suggests that Tony is no longer useful to Danny now that Jack and Wendy have reconciled, comparing Danny's attachment to Tony to someone trying to quit a drug addiction. Finally, Dr. Edmonds asks Wendy if she had a sister named Aileen, and she confirms it, although she doesn't know how Danny would have known about her. They also mention that they don't know what "REDRUM" or the shining are.
While checking on the boiler, Jack finds a scrapbook among a collection of boxes. He starts looking through them and finds a newspaper from 1963. He becomes excited about the possibility of writing a novel. A picture falls out of the scrapbook, showing an invitation to a masquerade ball after World War II. This reminds Jack of Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Masque of the Red Death," which involves an unmasking during a time of plague. Jack then comes across a 1947 article announcing the reopening of the Overlook and mentioning its new owner, Horace Derwent, a wealthy man from California with many patents. Jack remembers rumors about Derwent's involvement in bootlegging and sex work. Derwent had acquired Top Mark Studios, where a child star named Little Margery Morris died of a heroin overdose at the age of 14. Jack reads a news clipping from February 1952, revealing that Derwent sold the hotel to a California group of investors who later sold it to Mountainview Resorts. After the president of Mountainview Resorts died by suicide, the Overlook remained vacant for nearly ten years. Jack continues reading about other terrible events
associated with the hotel, including rumors of Mafia activity. As he reads, Jack becomes even more excited about the potential for a book. Wendy calls him, noticing that he has been rubbing his mouth so much thatit is bleeding, a sign that he used to display when he wanted to drink. Wendy asks him about his sobriety, and Jack denies that it is difficult. They go upstairs together.
During lunch, Wendy wants Danny to go play outside. Danny remembers that Hallorann said he saw something nasty related to the topiaries. Inside, Jack calls an attorney to discuss the defective bug bomb. He believes the company should be held liable for the wasp stings Danny received. However, the attorney informs him that they do not have a case since it would be difficult to prove that Jack used the bug bomb correctly without any witnesses. Meanwhile, Danny is on his way to Room 217 but remembers his promise to Hallorann not to enter the room. He resists the temptation and starts heading back. On his way, he encounters the fire extinguisher again, which unnerves him. As he imagines the nozzle full of wasps, he runs away but looks back to find the hose hasn't moved.
Jack goes to the Sidewinder Public Library without informing Wendy about his research on the Overlook's history. She asks him questions, but he grows annoyed and snaps at her, apologizing later and blaming it on a headache. Across the street at a drugstore, Jack uses a pay phone to call Mr. Ullman at the Surf-Sand Resort. He confronts Ullman about not disclosing the sordid history of the Overlook during the job interview. Jack threatens to write a book exposing the hotel's secrets, prompting Ullman to mention contacting Shockley, the majority shareholder. After the call, Jack wonders why he made it and questions if he is self-sabotaging. He admits to himself that Ullman embarrassed him during the interview. On his way back, it begins to snow, and Jack wonders if his dislike for the Overlook is the reason behind his behavior.
In bed, Jack reflects on the call he received from Al Shockley earlier in the evening. Shockley expresses his disapproval of Jack's actions, feeling sickened by his behavior. Shockley gives Jack an ultimatum: to keep his job, he must stop calling Ullman and give up on writing the book. Initially agreeing, Jack soon decides to write an even more damning version of the book than he had originally planned. Wendy notices signs that Jack's drinkingtendencies may be resurfacing, such as him constantly chewing Excedrin, which contains caffeine. She also observes that he is using more profanity and trying to control his temper. Wendy wishes she had a pressure gauge like the boiler to monitor Jack's emotional state. Danny tells her that Shockley was angry with Jack and didn't want him to write the book. Wendy contemplates talking to Danny about the hotel in the hope that he might have useful insights to help them survive the winter. Danny knows that his father is thinking about drinking more. He remembers a boy named Scott whose father "lost his marbles" and ended up in a place with "the men in the white coats." Danny worries that his father might send him there if he wants to get rid of him. He also fears that if he tells his mother about the fire hose, she will think he has a mental illness. Aware that the snow will bring something worse, Danny thinks about the word "REDRUM."
On their way to Sidewinder, Danny and Wendy listen to music on the radio. They hear a snow report mentioning the Donner Party, and Wendy turns it off. She asks Danny if he would be happy away from the hotel for the winter, and Danny says yes but adds that he believes the hotel is good for Jack, at least for now. Wendy mentions that if Tony thinks they should leave, they will, but they would have to stay at her mother's place. Danny expresses his preference for staying at the Overlook, and Wendy agrees not to take them to her mother's.
When the snow begins, each member of the Torrance family feels a
strange sense of relief, as if they have crossed a bridge. However, upon entering the hotel, they feel trapped, like "microbes trapped in the intestine of a monster."
Two weeks later, the surroundings are covered in feet of snow, creating a beautiful winter landscape. Danny enjoys sledding outside. Meanwhile, Jack goes downstairs to check on the boiler and starts rummaging through papers and boxes. He discovers a bloody piece of a sheet, a mangled teddy bear, a disturbing puppet, and other unsettling objects. Unaware of what Jack is doing, Danny is outside Room 217 with the passkey. Feeling brave, he decides toenter the room. The main room is empty, but the bathroom door is slightly open. Inside the bathroom, Danny is shocked to find a dead woman sitting in the bathtub. As he tries to scream, she suddenly sits up and startles him. Danny tries to escape, but the door to the hallway is now closed. Remembering Hallorann's words that nothing can harm him in the hotel, Danny closes his eyes, hoping that the woman will disappear. However, he feels the dead woman's hands around his throat, causing him to fear for his life.
While Danny is in Room 217, Wendy falls asleep while knitting, and Jack is also asleep. Jack has made the decision to write the book and feels indebted to the hotel, believing that it has enchanted him, particularly after his encounter with the hedge animals. He reminisces about his childhood and how he used to adore his father until he realized that his mother and siblings hated him. He recalls a traumatic incident where his father beat his mother with a cane, resulting in a hospital visit. Afterward, Jack's brothers intervened, and his father lied to the doctor about the cause of her injuries. Jack's brother Brett joined the Army shortly after, but unfortunately, he died in Vietnam. Jack's other brother, Mike, left shortly after Brett's death. Their father passed away a year later, and the family lived off the insurance money for five years.
In his dream, Jack sees a younger Danny right after he broke his arm. He turns on a CB radio and hears his father's voice instructing him to kill Wendy and Danny because "a real artist must suffer." Jack smashes the
radio and yells at his father. When he looks up, Wendy is watching him. With the CB radio destroyed, they have lost their connection to the outside world, except for the snowmobile.
While Wendy watches Jack in the cellar, Danny is at the top of the stairs sucking his thumb and sporting bruises on his neck. Wendy goes upstairs and finds him. Danny tells her that he was dreaming about his father and the voice on the CB radio before slipping into a catatonic state. Wendy screams at Jack not to touch him and carries Danny to her room.
Wendy suspects that Jack may have hurt Danny in his sleep or while in a trance,similar to how he smashed the CB radio. However, she realizes that Jack's shock and horror at seeing the bruises were genuine. Wendy contemplates finding a weapon to defend herself in case Jack becomes violent. She hears Jack singing a song in the hall downstairs.
Jack is filled with anger, knowing that Wendy will never forgive him for what happened to Danny's arm. As he paces around, he enters the dining room and briefly imagines the masquerade ball that took place there in 1945. He catches a glimpse of the Colorado Lounge stocked with liquor, but when he turns on the lights, there are no bottles. However, he can still smell beer. Jack engages in a conversation with Lloyd, the bartender, and asks for martinis. He drinks imaginary drinks and imagines the room filled with people. He discusses the challenges of staying sober with Lloyd, comparing sobriety to a church and a prison.
Suddenly, Lloyd disappears, or perhaps he was never there. Wendy enters the Colorado Lounge carrying Danny, and Jack repeats that he did not harm their son. Wendy doesn't want to argue; she just wants to get Danny off the mountain. Danny starts screaming and accuses Wendy, saying, "It was her!" Jack looks at Wendy and demands to know what she did to him.
Talk" Jack gives Danny a glass of milk and cooking sherry to calm him down. Wendy feels guilty for not giving Jack the benefit of the doubt when she saw the bruises on Danny's throat. Wendy informs Jack that she and Danny have been discussing him and how the Overlook is affecting him. She reveals that he talks in his sleep, often yelling "Unmask!" during the night.
Danny tells them that the dead woman in Room 217 harmed him. He mentions Tony, Hallorann, and the blood in the presidential suite, which is where the mafia shooting occurred. He also describes the moving hedge animals, which startles Jack. Danny explains that the woman's intentions felt similar to the wasps - she only wanted to hurt him. Jack decides that he will go to Room 217.
On his way to Room 217, Jack chews on Excedrin. He recalls that Watson mentioned that a lawyer's wife overdosed in that room. Upon entering the bathroom, he finds that the bathtub is empty. However, he noticesa bathmat that should have been with the linens, which confuses him. As he is about to leave, he hears a noise and sees that the shower curtain is drawn again. He catches a glimpse of something in the tub but chooses not to look further. In a hurry, he heads to the hallway and notices the fire extinguisher, believing that it was facing the other way when he arrived.
In a brief chapter, Jack informs Wendy and Danny that Room 217 is empty.
Jack sets up a cot in their bedroom for Danny and reads over his play, which now repulses him. He suddenly despises his protagonist, Gary Benson, without fully understanding why. Wendy asks about their plan to escape from the mountain, but Jack gets angry, accusing her of wanting to leave. Wendy believes that something in the hotel wants Danny and
suggests using the snowmobile. Their argument turns into passion, and they end up having sex. Afterward, they discuss their beliefs about ghosts, acknowledging that regardless of whether ghosts exist, the bruises on Danny's neck are real. Jack suggests that the bruises might be stigmata or that Danny harmed himself while in a trance.
While Wendy falls asleep, Jack torments himself with thoughts of shame and contemplates going to Sidewinder and abandoning the job. His mood suddenly shifts, and he feels an urge to kill Wendy. In the midst of this, Danny twitches and moans in his sleep.
Jack wakes up in the bathroom of Room 217, where he finds George Hatfield lying dead in the bathtub with a knife in his chest. Despite being dead, George argues with Jack about the debate team and his dismissal. When George attempts to strangle him, Jack flees to the basement and discovers a timer connected to several sticks of dynamite. George grabs Jack's neck once again, but the dynamite morphs into a wasps' nest and then into his father's cane. Jack beats George, and his face transforms into Danny's just as Jack hits him between the eyes. Jack wakes up, standing over Danny's cot, and heads downstairs to check the boiler.
Jack recalls his dream about George and the bathtub. He looks at the snowmobile and remembers reading a newspaper article about a kid who was decapitated by a chain while snowmobiling at night. He resiststhe temptation to destroy the snowmobile's machinery with a mallet. He notices a snowmobile battery in the shed but chooses to ignore it. Jack contemplates his options and realizes that the hotel wants Danny, but it also wants him. He believes that he may be the key to the hotel being able to absorb Danny's powers, even if the ghosts themselves cannot harm him. He returns to the hotel and informs Wendy that they are not leaving.
The Torrances have a pleasant Thanksgiving, although Danny remains fearful of the Overlook. He consciously tries to stay in places that feel safe. Jack mentions that Rangers will come to check on them if they fail
to respond on the CB radio, and Danny senses that Jack is pleased. Although he is unsure of what specific act he performed correctly, Danny understands that his father is happy that he accomplished something difficult. When he tries to comprehend further, he sees shadows and movements reminiscent of an octopus.
While at the playground, snow falls on Danny as he explores a concrete structure. Suddenly, the snow slides off the hedge dog, revealing one of the lion's heads. The other two lions also become uncovered, and the dog turns its head. The animals block Danny's way, but he manages to run to the path. As he reaches the Overlook's porch, the lion is only five feet away. Something roars and scratches his leg. When Wendy lets him inside, Danny's leg appears scratched by branches.
Danny tells his parents about the moving hedge animals, but Jack dismisses it, claiming that Danny imagined it and cut his leg on the sharp snow crust or the porch. Danny insists that Jack also saw something in the hedges, and Jack slaps him. They put Danny to bed, and Jack and Wendy have a conversation. Jack wishes that Wendy would ask about the hedges so he could confess his own experience, but she lets the matter go.
Jack and Wendy wake up to a humming sound coming from the elevator, indicating that it's moving. Wendy envisions images of a lavish party in her mind, with the elevator filled with masked people and music playing. However, when the elevator stops, the doors refuse to open. Wendy tells Jack about hearing voices, and Danny confirms it. Jack pushes herdown and uses a key to open the elevator, revealing that it is empty. Wendy discovers a green party streamer and a mask on the floor and questions Jack if he still believes there is nothing to be concerned about.
On December 1st, Danny finds himself in the ballroom, observing a clock flanked by ivory elephants and covered with a glass dome. He has designated certain areas as either safe or unsafe. Danny removes the dome from the clock and places a key inside it. As he does so, the clock starts ticking. Ballet dancers appear and start performing an erotic dance to "The Blue Danube" waltz. Suddenly, the clock face disappears, and Danny falls into the darkness behind it. He finds himself in a corridor, hearing the swing of a mallet and someone shouting. He spots Dick Hallorann dressed in white and pleads for his help. Hallorann walks through a wall and disappears, leaving behind a faceless figure that begins chasing Danny. Tony informs Danny that "they" won't allow him to come near Danny anymore. Danny wakes up in his parents' destroyed room and goes into the bathroom, where he sees the word REDRUM written on the mirror. Its reflection spells MURDER. In his mind, he screams for Hallorann to come and assist him.
Hallorann is in Florida when he suddenly smells the scent of oranges and immediately hears Danny's scream. He tries to get out of work by lying to his boss, claiming that his son has been shot. Hallorann has been preoccupied with thoughts of his own death for the past week, although he doesn't understand why. He recalls a maid named Delores Vickery who had witnessed Mrs. Massy in the bathtub of Room 217 and was subsequently fired by Ullman. Hallorann himself had gone to Room 217 and seen the body. He remembers hearing the shouts to unmask and witnessing the movement of the hedge animals.
Hallorann reflects on the many guests who had left the hotel abruptly or claimed to have seen strange things. Unfortunately, he misses his flight to Denver as he arrives at the airport late. In the men's room, he hears Danny scream once again.
Wendy finds Danny singing an Eddie Cochran song, with a swollen lower lip. He explains that he called Tony in the bathroom andmay have hit his head during a trance. Danny assures Wendy that Jack didn't hurt him. He also reveals that the hotel and its inhabitants are preventing
Tony from coming to him anymore. Danny believes that the Overlook is attempting to make Jack feel like it wants him the most. He informs Wendy that Jack threw part of the snowmobile away. Danny warns Wendy that the ghosts will try to make Jack harm them. Wendy takes a knife for protection as they both hear a voice shouting for the unmasking.
Jack is concerned about the boiler and has been examining papers in the basement all night. The pressure of the boiler is at 210 psi, which he knows is dangerously high. He recalls being told that anything above 180 psi is hazardous. Jack envisions the potential explosion and contemplates the idea that Wendy and Danny would have enough time to escape, enabling them to collect his life insurance policy. However, he becomes angry with himself, realizing that he is the caretaker and has a duty to the Overlook. He releases some of the pressure, bringing it down to 80 psi. Jack desires a drink and believes that the hotel will reward him for saving it.
Danny wakes up from a dream about a fiery explosion. He focuses his psychic abilities to locate Jack within the hotel and discovers that Jack is contemplating drinking. Suddenly, a voice shouts at Danny, urging him to leave Jack's mind. In the hallway, Danny sees a man dressed in a dog costume on all fours, with a bloody mouth. The man growls, barks, and threatens to eat Danny. Frightened, Danny retreats to his cot, realizing that something has changed. He believes that now the hotel can harm him, whereas before it couldn't. He calls out for Hallorann once again and has a vision of his father wielding a blunt object, ready to strike him.
Hallorann is aboard a flight to Denver. He engages in small talk with a friendly woman seated next to him. Earlier, he had contacted a ranger who informed him that they hadn't received a distress call from the
Overlook via CB radio. The ranger argued with Hallorann, dismissing his claims and asserting that he couldn't possibly know what was happening at the hotel, showing no urgency inaddressing the situation.
Jack returns to the Colorado Lounge and orders a martini from Lloyd, the bartender. Lloyd informs him that the manager has covered the cost of Jack's drinks and assures him that Danny will be taken care of by the manager. When Jack asks why they want Danny, Lloyd evades the question and encourages Jack to drink. Jack notices that the conversations around him have ceased, and everyone is watching him. They urge him to continue drinking, and he complies, assuring himself that he would never harm Danny.
Jack dances with an attractive woman who invites him upstairs while he notices Derwent observing them. A man dressed in a dog costume performs degrading tricks for the amusement of the guests. Jack continues to drink and encounters Delbert Grady.
Grady claims to have no recollection of killing his family. However, Jack reminds him that he was the caretaker, but Grady disagrees, stating that Jack has always been the caretaker. Grady reveals that Danny needs to be corrected, just as he corrected his own daughters - one of whom attempted to burn down the Overlook. He also mentions that Danny is bringing an "outside party" to help. Grady believes that Jack could rise in the hierarchy and implies that Danny is expected to be a sacrifice. Jack then approaches the clock, which now features a father and son beneath the dome. The father strikes the boy's head with a mallet, causing blood to fill the dome. Suddenly, the room is empty, but the bar remains stocked. Jack calls for Lloyd, but he is alone and eventually collapses onto the floor.
Hallorann endures a turbulent flight and a rough landing. Upon arrival, he rents a car and arranges to have chains put on the tires. However, a police officer informs him that the ramp is closed to automobiles.
Wendy and Danny listen to Jack's shouts downstairs throughout the morning. Wendy takes the knife with her and goes to prepare lunch for Danny. Occasionally, she believes she hears the sounds of a party, and Jack's voice sounds intoxicated. Wendy catches a whiff of the scent of gin in the Colorado Lounge, even though she knows it's impossible.
Wendy discovers Jack lying on the floor. He grabs her ankle and usesa derogatory term against her. He accuses her and Danny of conspiring against him. Wendy realizes that she overheard Jack conversing with Grady.
Jack tightens his grip around Wendy's throat as Danny screams for him to stop. Danny jumps on Jack, but Jack swats him away. Wendy smashes a bottle on Jack's head, rendering him unconscious. While Jack is unconscious, Wendy tells Danny that the hotel is attempting to harm them all and that the Overlook is growing stronger. She believes it wants to utilize Danny's power to become even more powerful. Together, they drag Jack into the pantry and lock him inside. He screams at them and threatens to kill them if they don't release him.
Wendy and Danny continue to listen to Jack's screams throughout the morning. Wendy's neck shows signs of bruising. Danny cries, and Wendy tries to reassure him. By around 4:30 p.m., Jack's shouting stops, and they hear the elevator in operation. Wendy realizes that "The Overlook was coming to life around them."
Locked inside the pantry, Jack consumes crackers and reflects on his upbringing. He starts to understand his father's perspective and believes
that the physical punishment he received as a child was necessary, even asserting that his mother deserved it. Jack perceives Wendy as trying to keep him from achieving a managerial role. He hears a piano playing and recognizes Grady's voice outside the pantry. Jack speaks to Grady through the door and makes a promise to kill Wendy if Grady releases him. The door opens, revealing a bottle of gin and a mallet on the cooking island. A deep voice instructs Jack to keep his promise.
Hallorann's journey is treacherous, and he nearly crashes the car, but a plow driver helps him get back on the road. The driver offers Hallorann blue mittens that his wife made and expresses his belief that the boy at the Overlook is in danger, even if he doesn't fully understand why. Four hours later, Hallorann arrives in Sidewinder, where he encounters an overpowering smell of oranges and hears an angry voice in his head hurling racial slurs and warning him to stay away. These unsettling experiences cause Hallorann to lose control of the car and hit an embankment. In the midst of the images and sounds, he hears the distinct noiseof a mallet striking something soft, leaving him concerned that he may already be too late.
Wendy waits in her bedroom after overhearing Jack discussing her murder with someone. Believing that he has escaped from the pantry, she heads towards the elevator, only to find it filled with confetti. As the clock strikes midnight, the ballroom lights turn on, accompanied by the shouts of "unmask!" Wendy spots Jack approaching her with a mallet. When she attempts to flee, he strikes her, breaking two of her ribs. As she runs, he hits her shin, but she manages to knock him down the stairs before stabbing him in the lower back with a knife. Jack screams and falls, but soon rises and continues to pursue her. Wendy continues to struggle, ascending the stairs in an attempt to escape.
Hallorann rents a snowmobile from Larry Durkin and mentions Howard Cottrell, the plow driver. Durkin provides Hallorann with a heavy parka and a ski mask. As Hallorann approaches the Overlook, he grows increasingly fearful. However, his progress is halted by a hedge lion on the road. A fight ensues, resulting in the lion scratching and tearing at Hallorann's flesh.
While Wendy flees from Jack, she encounters partygoers in her path. Jack strikes her between the shoulder blades, causing her to crawl, but he continues to pursue her. Wendy manages to reach the bedroom and close the door, baffled by Jack's ability to keep moving. Jack relentlessly pounds on the door with the mallet, and as he nears a breakthrough, Wendy enters the bathroom. She realizes that it is not Jack who intends to harm her, but the malevolent presence of the Overlook itself. Jack stares at her through a crack in the bathroom door, prompting Wendy to grab a razor blade from the medicine cabinet and slash his hand as he reaches for the doorknob. Just as the motor outside becomes audible, Jack abruptly leaves. Overwhelmed, Wendy faints on the bed in her room.
Hallorann douses the lion with gasoline and sets it on fire with a lighter, causing the creature to be destroyed. In the process, his arm catches fire, but he extinguishes the flames in a snowbank. He arrives at the Overlook and finds the other animals guarding the front steps.Despite their presence, he manages to bypass them, reach the door, and call out for Danny. However, Jack sneaks up on Hallorann and strikes him unconscious with the mallet. Jack proceeds to search for Danny throughout the hotel.
Tony's voice reaches out to Danny from a great distance. He warns Danny that Wendy will be harmed and Hallorann will die. Tony reveals
that Danny himself brought him to the Overlook. Finally, Tony appears to Danny in a closer proximity, revealing himself as an older version of Danny. Danny realizes that Tony is a future version of himself, trying to warn him about the dangers of the Overlook. As Jack approaches, Danny flees, catching a glimpse of two bodies near the door of the Presidential Suite as he runs. Everything becomes silent, except for the sound of the approaching elevator. Danny attempts to seek refuge in the attic, but it is locked with a padlock.
Wendy regains consciousness and hears Jack calling out for Danny. She discovers Hallorann, who is still alive. Danny confronts Jack and insists that he is not his real father but rather a fabricated entity created by the hotel. Danny declares that he has become one with the hotel and Jack hesitates, dropping the mallet. In a moment of control, Jack instructs Danny to run and expresses his love for him. He then begins repeatedly striking his own face with the mallet, claiming that there are no more masks. Danny reminds Jack about the boiler, which is set to explode. Jack leaves to prevent the impending disaster and protect the Overlook.
Hallorann, Danny, and Wendy prepare to leave the Overlook before the boiler explodes. Hallorann carries them and runs away. Jack attempts to lower the pressure in the boiler but is unable to do so before it detonates. The bathtub in Room 217 and the glass dome over the clock both shatter, signaling the end of the party.
From the outside, Hallorann sees a shadow in the window of the Presidential Suite, reminiscent of a wasps' nest that his brother once targeted with a firecracker. The shadow reminds him of the rising wasps, but it vanishes into the sky as flames engulf the Overlook. In the shed where the snowmobile is stored, Hallorann feels an urge tokill Wendy
and Danny with the mallet, as instructed by the malevolent force of the Overlook. However, he resists the command, puts down the mallet, and joins Wendy and Danny on the snowmobile. As they drive away, Danny notices that the hedge animals are burnt and lifeless in their original positions. They witness the roof of the Overlook collapsing. Eventually, snowmobiles driven by rangers approach them, led by Dr. Edmonds, just 20 miles away from Sidewinder.
Hallorann is now at the Red Arrow Lodge, a resort in Maine. Wendy is also present, recovering from her ordeal. She appears older than when Hallorann first met her nine months earlier. Danny is fishing on the dock, and his dreams have been improving. Wendy has decided to work with Al Shockley, and Hallorann assures her that they will be fine. He then has a conversation with Danny about his future responsibilities, emphasizing the importance of moving forward and loving those around him. Danny becomes emotional, missing his father and expressing a desire to no longer have the shining ability. Hallorann reassures him, reiterating the need to keep going, and assures Danny that they will always be friends. Danny gets a bite on his fishing line, and Hallorann and Wendy watch as he reels in the fish.