According to Wikipedia, "defamiliarization is the artistic technique of presenting to audiences common things in an unfamiliar or strange way in order to enhance the perception of the familiar." I really liked the examples of defamiliarization Donoghue used throughout Room, because not only did they enhance my perception of the familiar but made me enjoy the book even more.
One of my favorite examples was the scene in which Jack discovers crocs or "spongy shoes":
There's a store that's only shoes outside, bright spongy ones with holes all over them and Grandma lets me try on a pair, I choose yellow. There's no laces or Velcro even, I just put my foot in. They're so light it's like not having any on. We go in and Grandma pays five dollar papers for the shoes, that's the same as twenty quarters, I tell her I love them. (286)
Jack's unfamiliarity with crocs makes me smile, because I remember almost every single kid in my kindergarten class owning a pair except me. However, I didn't feel left out for not having crocs, because I thought they were the ugliest shoes to exist and I still do (sorry if I'm offending any croc lovers.) I'm glad that he loves his new shoes, because they aren't heavy like his velcro shoes and will help him adjust better to wearing shoes after five years of not wearing shoes.
There is also Jack's first experience playing with LEGOS that's also touching to me. He didn't have many toys in Room to play with and he mostly made up his own games like Parrot or Corpse with his own imagination. I loved playing with LEGOS as a kid, so reading about Jack playing around with the pieces brought me back to my childhood. Jack is amazed at how the bits are "magically turned into a car" (281). However, he is most surprised and amazed when Steppa "puts his car on the floor and steps on it, crunch. It's all in pieces" (282). The idea of starting over is very abstract to Jack and that's not only seen here when Steppa breaks the car but also when Ma hatches a plan for them to escape and start over in life. Jack doesn't scream or recoil to the broken LEGOS; he seems to respond pretty well, and that could be a metaphor foreshadowing his success in adapting to a new life away from Ma and Room.
Yeah, I've never been a fan of Crocs, strictly from a fashion perspective. But maybe, given his relatively sheltered upbringing, Jack can be forgiven for a fashion crime: his thing with footwear is entirely practical, and he's not used to having shoes on his feet at all. I've always suspected Crocs might just be as insanely comfortable as everyone says, and that's why I've never tried them on!
ReplyDeleteThese parts made me also enjoy the book more. It's interesting to read about how everyone see's things differently, and for Jack, mostly they are very different. Even though the way Jack describes things is so foreign, he makes them sound so homey and child-like in their descriptions. It adds a softer, innocent touch to a lot of the book. Definitely one of my favorite aspects.
ReplyDeleteI always thought the defamiliarization made the book seem a lot more real and believable, because these are things we see in every day life. Not just common objects such as vending machines, but really specific things such as the boxing channel, and crocs.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit I thought it was really funny when Jack fell in love with his Crocs (personally not a fan either). And I really like your connection between the LEGOs and Ma's plan B; the idea of change and starting over. This idea is really important to the whole book, and I think you've made a really good connection.
ReplyDeleteBecause of how young Jack was when he finally escaped Room, I do believe that there is hope for him to adapt and barely feel any impact from that situation many years away from the end of the story.
ReplyDeleteHey, let the man love his crocs if he wants to! Yah, I always found these kinds of scenes served as kind of a "comedic relief" in an otherwise much much darker novel, not to say it isn't already dark. I think that doing things like this made the story a lot more relatable, and made Jack's overall inexperience a lot more impactful. Good post.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this scene. It shows Jack learning about the new world. I remember a time when everybody loved and was wearing crocs. I felt that putting them into this story really made Jack most realistic to me. By using trends that I have experienced, Donoghue really makes Jack's story hit home.
ReplyDelete