Q & A with Emma Donoghue discussion

Hi, Emma,
Maria from Dublin here. First, I loved Room, was absolutely blown away by it, congratulations on your well-deserved success with this book.

My question is - which did you find harder to write - Ma's and Jack's life inside Room, or Jack's upheaval, for want of a better word, into the 'real' world, which seemed so unreal to Him, and then his trying desperately to acclimatise to it? Or is it not a case of one being 'harder' than the other?

I don't know if I can explain this properly, but for me, one of the saddest things in the book is Jack's experience when he hits the outside, and how it changed his and Ma's relationship. Like Jack, I almost wanted them to go back to Room, no matter how wrong that is, so that things could go back to the way they were between them (even though I know that, even back in Room, their relationship would inevitably change and evolve). I feel terrible even thinking that, especially being the mother of two young boys myself, but that's what I felt. Was it your intention to deliberately engender this type of feeling in your reader, or do you see yourself as a writer of 'the story', and that whatever the reader feels, or doesn't feel, is up to them?

Interesting question you pose at the end there, Maria. Of course what you readers feel is up to you... but I do my best to manipulate it! I don't have particular reader demographics in mind (gender, age, nationality, etc) but I do think of an ideal intelligent-and-attentive reader, and I constantly ask myself 'What do they know at this point, what are they speculating, what are they expecting or dreading?' So yes, I knew that in the first part readers would probably be sharing in the claustrophobia but also perhaps in the sheer cosiness of Jack's life with Ma... and that the aftermath of the escape would throw them into a confusion similar to Jack's, in that there are things they as readers miss now they're on the outside. For me, neither part of the novel was harder to write than the other, it all felt like one stream of Jack's consciousness... but the second part is way sadder. The book would have been facile if it had stopped at the escape; in the second part, I'm suggesting a more universal story, that all children must learn their parents are flawed and at times must learn to do without them and grow beyond them.

Emma wrote: "I don't have particular reader demographics in mind (gender, age, nationality, etc) but I do think of an ideal intelligent-and-attentive reader, and I constantly ask myself 'What do they know at this point, what are they speculating, what are they expecting or dreading?'"

So, this novel isn't targeted for a YA audience?

I felt the exact same way as Maria did in reading the second part of Room. Actually, I still feel sad about what Jack is going through now, even though he went back to Room and had the chance to see it from a different perspective and say goodbye.

Ms Donogue, do you think you will ever write a sequel where Jack is all grown up? I would love to know what happens to him, how he's shaped by his early experiences, what he remembers of Room now and how he feels about that time, and what him and Ma's lives are like? I saw in another thread that you don't see that in the works now, but I feel so desperate for a follow-up story that I still want to ask if you might consider it in the future? Pleaaase, haha!

Thanks for your answer, Emma, it was so interesting to read your thoughts on the question. I must admit to being very surprised to hear that you don't imagine specifics such as gender, age etc., when writing a novel. My impression of the publishing industry is that it is highly segmented and market-conscious or -specific, to the extent that all authors have a finely honed image of the reader or reader-type they're aiming for the whole time they're writing.

Thanks also for your reply re writing the inside and outside elements of the book. Again, contrary to what I thought, in that I hadn't thought of things as a whole, as all making up Jack's story, but more as in-Room and post-Room. It's interesting to me to view the book now from that more holistic perspective.

Thanks again,
All the best, Maria

Im amazed of what this Q/A group has created - very insightful discussions which allows me to get extra "rooms" to ponder about Ma and Jack's captivity. Ive noticed that most of the threads revolved around the characterisation of the main characters, specifically on violence, gender and motherhood. I dont know but, when I read the book and wrote a review about it, it struck me most is the "impact" of television on Jack's mental development. Half of the book mostly dealt on Jack's perception of Room and even outside it through the programmes he watched on tv, including illustrative children books, and of course through his Ma. And most importantly, in my view, his determination to escape is somehow influenced by the cartoon characters. What will happen if Old Nick is poor enough NOT to provide a TV inside Room? Does Jack's perception about living inside Room and the outide world would be the same? Having said that, the book provided me a valid situation on the effects of tv or any sort of entertainment/media devices to early child development.

A 2006 US survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that 75% of children under 6 years old watch some TV in a given day. Moreover, the study found out that children age 6 and under who watch television spend an average of one hour, and total "screen time" with these media gadgets goes up to nearly four hours and 30 minutes per day.

There is a "misconception" among parents that allowing kids/babies to watch TV is educational. But according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), no screen time for children under 2 years old to prevent a reduction in communication and language skills. It is also viewed that excessive viewing habits (more than four hours per day) can hamper with other aspects of a child's life development – physical activity and socialisation.

I think that people are sometimes too harsh on television. If shows are selected properly, TV *can* be educational. I think the biggest problem with having children watch TV a lot is that it can end up replacing physical activity and lead to obesity. Additionally, if it replaces interaction with others, especially parents, or if children are allowed to watch programs that have "mature themes" it can be problematic. If parents are sure to schedule time for other beneficial activities, I think an arbitrary time-limit is a bit silly.

Digitalenviromentalist wrote: "I dont know but, when I read the book and wrote a review about it, it struck me most is the "impact" of television on Jack's mental development."

Interesting point to mention. I never considered the impact of television on Jack's development.

Maria wrote: "Thanks for your answer, Emma, it was so interesting to read your thoughts on the question. I must admit to being very surprised to hear that you don't imagine specifics such as gender, age etc., wh..."
What you say about targeting a particular demographic of readers: that would be more characteristic of genre fiction, e.g. Westerns, hardboiled crime, romance, chick lit, etc. That kind of targeting really doesn't work in the case of what I write which is called (unhelpfully vaguely) literary fiction, because no two of our books are the same.

Digitalenviromentalist wrote: "Im amazed of what this Q/A group has created - very insightful discussions which allows me to get extra "rooms" to ponder about Ma and Jack's captivity. Ive noticed that most of the threads revolve..."

Good points. I dithered over whether to let Old Nick give them a TV, but decided that without it they would be living a weirdly pre-modern life, like Little House on the Prairie except never stepping out of the cabin. So then I decided that Ma could use TV in a cautious way - all too aware that it has its noxious effects as well as its educational ones.

Emma wrote: "Good points. I dithered over whether to let Old Nick..." Thank you for recognising these points that Ive addressed earlier. I thought about it that you may consciously considering whether to provide "externalities" or not inside Room that Ma and Jack can share during the captivity! By the way, I do like the way you presented the relationship between the grandparents (esp Steppa) and Jack - with a sense of humor! I cant imagine now that Im chatting to an author!LOL... Ohh I forgot, Im pre-ordering your Touchy Subjects' short stories collection and hopefully purchase Slammerskin over the weekend as my follow-up to Sarah Waters' Fingersmith!

I felt like the T.V. was there in order to provide a means for introducing Jack to the Outside. With out its, how would Ma have even convinced him there was an Outside and therefore to escape?

I appreciated Digitalenviromentalist comments regarding tv. Just began reading Fay Weldon's book, Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen. The first letter deals with the impact of tv on the generation that begins watching it in early childhood. What do you think would have been the result would have been if Jack did not have a tv available but a room of books. Would that have prepared him any better in dealing with the outside world

Digitalenviromentalist wrote: "Emma wrote: "Good points. I dithered over whether to let Old Nick..." Thank you for recognising these points that Ive addressed earlier. I thought about it that you may consciously considering whet..."

FINGERSMITH! I could die happy if I'd written that book.

Pearl wrote: "I appreciated Digitalenviromentalist comments regarding tv. Just began reading Fay Weldon's book, Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen. The first letter deals with the impact of tv on th..."

Fascinating what-if about Jack's life in a mini-library but with no TV. I think he'd have been an extremely wise little boy, but so shocked by the Outside that he'd have holed up in the nearest room he could lock and refused to come out. Like some time-traveller from prehistoric times, perhaps - the blow to his senses would be that severe.

Emma: that's exactly what I was thinking!