"Jack-in-the-Box" is a

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

short story by American author

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...

, first published as part of the 1947 short story collection '' Dark Carnival''. It was later collected in the magazine ''

Avon Fantasy Reader Cover of the eighteenth issue Avon published three related magazines in the late 1940s and early 1950s, titled ''Avon Fantasy Reader'', ''Avon Science Fiction Reader'', and ''Avon Science Fiction and Fantasy Reader''. These were digest size maga ...

'' and the

anthologies In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and ge ...

''Interplanet7: Fantascienza'', '' The Small Assassin'', ''Ghostly and Ghastly'', '' The October Country'', and '' The Stories of Ray Bradbury''.

Plot summary

Living apart from the outside world, Edwin shares residence with his mother in a vast secluded mansion. She raises him to be god, telling him that his father, the original god, was killed by beasts from outside the estate, and that if he ever extricates himself he too will die. The beautiful estate they share is described as a complete fantasy world created by Mother and embellished by Edwin. It was all he ever knew and thus he lacked any reason to question his mother's version. Over the course of the story, Edwin explores his universe and the various secrets and mysteries it holds. Among them is a woman other than Mother who serves as his "teacher", who is actually his mother in disguise. No matter which rooms of his Universe he visits, Edwin uses their windows as portals to glimpse the world beyond. He is unsuccessful in this task until he discovers the door open to a forbidden room. Upon entry, he climbs the

spiral staircase Stairs are a structure designed to bridge a large vertical direction, vertical distance between lower and higher levels by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. This is achieved as a diagonal series of horizontal platforms called steps wh ...

to the tower, and looks out the windows. In an experience reminiscent of the Biblical

Saul Saul (; , ; , ; ) was a monarch of ancient Israel and Judah and, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament, the first king of the United Monarchy, a polity of uncertain historicity. His reign, traditionally placed in the late eleventh c ...

, Edwin finally views the world beyond the Universe. He even fears blindness because of what he sees. In the end, soon after a joyful birthday party, Edwin discovers his collapsed mother motionless on the parlor floor. Unable to awaken her, Edwin finally leaves the only home he has ever known, symbolically "dying" and joyfully entering the outside world.

Reception

This story is viewed as a

psychological Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

gambit or classic

psychoanalytic PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: and is a set of theories and techniques of research to discover unconscious processes and their influence on conscious thought, emotion and behaviour. Based on dream interpretation, psychoanalysis is also a talk the ...

struggle, invoking as Bradbury's fiction often does,

Lacanian Jacques Marie Émile Lacan (, ; ; 13 April 1901 – 9 September 1981) was a French psychoanalyst and psychiatrist. Described as "the most controversial psycho-analyst since Freud", Lacan gave yearly seminars in Paris, from 1953 to 1981, and ...

three orders of Imaginary, Symbolic and Real. It pits the protagonist and his being locked into the natural order of things will he join his mother's domain, ascend to her adjoining throne and accept her rules and assumptions against his journey to find an external world.

Attachment theory Attachment theory is a psychological and evolutionary framework, concerning the relationships between humans, particularly the importance of early bonds between infants and their primary caregivers. Developed by psychiatrist and psychoanalys ...

is insinuated into the story.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jack-in-the-Box 1947 short stories Fantasy short stories Science fiction short stories Short stories by Ray Bradbury Short stories set in country houses Birthdays in fiction

Plot summary

Reception

See also

References