The Shining | Teaching Key Figures

Character Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major characters in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.

Characters

Jack Torrance - This man is a recovering alcoholic with a volatile temper. He is starting a job as caretaker of the Overlook hotel.

Wendy Torrance - The wife of an alcoholic and the mother of an extremely psychic child, this woman loves her husband, but doubts his motives and abilities.

Danny Torrance - This five-year-old is a highly psychic child. The boy is capable of reading people's minds, feeling their emotions, seeing the future, and seeing the past.

Tony - This is an imaginary friend, appearing in psychic visions. He appears with...
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