Danny Torrance
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Daniel Anthony Torrance, also known as Doc, Danny, Dan, and later Doctor Sleep, is a fictional character who first appears in the 1977 novel '' The Shining'' by
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
as a child with psychic powers called "the shining". His parents are father
Jack Torrance John Daniel Edward "Jack" Torrance is the main antagonist in Stephen King's horror novel '' The Shining'' (1977). He was portrayed by Jack Nicholson in the novel's 1980 film adaptation, by Steven Weber in the 1997 miniseries, by Brian Mu ...
and mother
Wendy Torrance Winnifred "Wendy" Torrance is a fictional character and protagonist of the 1977 horror literature, horror novel ''The Shining (novel), The Shining'' by the American writer Stephen King. She also appears in the prologue of ''Doctor Sleep (novel), D ...
. The character was portrayed in the 1980 film adaptation '' The Shining'' by
Danny Lloyd Daniel Edward Sidney Lloyd (born October 13, 1972) is an American former child actor best known for his role as Danny Torrance in the horror film '' The Shining'' (1980) an adaptation of Stephen King's 1977 novel of the same name. Life and car ...
and by
Courtland Mead Courtland Robert Mead (born April 19, 1987) is an American actor, noted for his performances on-screen during the 1990s. Early life Mead was born in Mission Viejo, California, the son of Denise and Robert Mead. He has two sisters, Lauren and ...
in the 1997 television miniseries '' The Shining''. In 2013, Stephen King released the novel '' Doctor Sleep'', a sequel to the 1977 novel that features an adult Dan Torrance as the protagonist. Warner Bros. Pictures produced a film adaptation of the novel with actor
Ewan McGregor Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...
playing the adult Dan Torrance. The film was released in November 2019.


Fictional history


''The Shining''

Danny Torrance is introduced in ''The Shining'' as the five-year-old son of
Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...
and
Wendy Torrance Winnifred "Wendy" Torrance is a fictional character and protagonist of the 1977 horror literature, horror novel ''The Shining (novel), The Shining'' by the American writer Stephen King. She also appears in the prologue of ''Doctor Sleep (novel), D ...
. He has
psychic A psychic is a person who claims to use extrasensory perception (ESP) to identify information hidden from the normal senses, particularly involving telepathy or clairvoyance, or who performs acts that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws, ...
powers that fellow psychic Dick Halloran calls “shining” – he can read people’s thoughts, communicate
telepathically Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic W ...
with others who “shine”, and has frequent, frightening prophetic visions. He receives these messages and visions from a supernatural entity he calls “Tony” that only he can see; his parents believe that “Tony” is merely his
imaginary friend Imaginary friends (also known as pretend friends, invisible friends or made-up friends) are a psychological and social phenomenon where a friendship or other interpersonal relationship takes place in the imagination rather than physical reality. ...
. Danny has a difficult relationship with Jack, an
alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomin ...
prone to fits of violent anger. During one such drunken rage, Jack snaps the boy’s arm. Horrified, Jack quits drinking and tries to be a better parent, hoping to mend their relationship during the five months they are to be living at the Overlook Hotel as caretakers. As Jack falls under the Overlook’s control, however, he grows increasingly unstable, and Danny comes to fear him. At the Overlook, Danny meets head cook Dick Halloran, who also “shines”. The two sense their connection instantly, and Halloran tells Danny to reach out to him with his “shine” if he needs help. While living at the Overlook, Danny experiences terrifying visions of the various evil spirits that inhabit the place, including a desiccated old woman who tries to choke him. He also experiences visions of the word “redrum” – “murder” spelled backwards. When the Overlook possesses Jack completely, Danny calls for Dick Halloran’s help and a possessed Jack attacks Danny and Wendy (and later Dick Halloran, having come to Danny’s aid) with a roque mallet, severely injuring both adults but failing to harm Danny. Jack tries to kill Danny, but his love for his son breaks through long enough that Jack allows him to escape. Moments later, Jack causes the hotel’s boiler to explode, destroying the hotel and himself. His spirit remains with Danny, however, and the boy sees a brief vision of his father years later as he graduates from high school.


''Doctor Sleep''

Thirty years later, Danny (now going by "Dan") is still haunted by the events at the Overlook and tormented by his visions, and as such has become an alcoholic, just like his father. He drifts through the U.S. until he settles in Frazier, New Hampshire, where he quits drinking and joins
Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international mutual aid fellowship of alcoholics dedicated to abstinence-based recovery from alcoholism through its spiritually-inclined Twelve Step program. Following its Twelve Traditions, AA is non-professi ...
with the help of his friend and fellow alcoholic Billy Freeman. He gets a job tending to a miniature replica of the town and a small train running around it before eventually finding employment at a local hospice, where he uses his "shine" to comfort dying patients as they pass on. He begins receiving messages from Abra Stone, a young girl with a "shine" of her own, who tells him of a group of
vampiric A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
creatures called The True Knot, who are killing children who "shine" and absorbing their power. When the True Knot targets Abra, she telepathically asks Dan for help. Dan travels to Abra's home and convinces her family of the danger she faces after defeating members of the True Knot who try to kidnap her. After talking with Abra's great-grandmother, Concetta Reynolds, he learns that Lucy, Abra's mother, was in fact Jack Torrance's illegitimate child, making him Abra's uncle and Lucy's half-brother, which he reveals to the family. He and Abra telepathically bait the True Knot's leader, Rose the Hat, into following them to the former site of the Overlook. He engages Rose in a brutal battle, aided by Jack Torrance's ghost; together, they push her off an observation platform to her death. Before leaving, Dan sees Jack's ghost wave goodbye and disappear, finally at peace. The novel ends with Dan celebrating 15 years of sobriety, having become close with Abra and her family as he attends her 15th birthday party. Dan tells Abra about his family's history of alcoholism and rage, warning her to avoid the same issues. Dan advises Abra on how to handle her "shine" whenever she feels upset, before returning to the hospice to comfort a patient.


List of fictional appearances

Novels *'' The Shining'' (1977) – written by Stephen King *'' Doctor Sleep'' (2013) – written by Stephen King Films *'' The Shining'' (1980) – portrayed by
Danny Lloyd Daniel Edward Sidney Lloyd (born October 13, 1972) is an American former child actor best known for his role as Danny Torrance in the horror film '' The Shining'' (1980) an adaptation of Stephen King's 1977 novel of the same name. Life and car ...
*'' Doctor Sleep'' (2019) – portrayed by
Ewan McGregor Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...
(adult); Roger Dale Floyd (young) Other *'' The Shining'' (1997) – miniseries, portrayed by
Courtland Mead Courtland Robert Mead (born April 19, 1987) is an American actor, noted for his performances on-screen during the 1990s. Early life Mead was born in Mission Viejo, California, the son of Denise and Robert Mead. He has two sisters, Lauren and ...
(child);
Wil Horneff William Samuel "Wil" Horneff (born June 12, 1979) is an American former child actor and martial artist who won two Young Artist Awards from three nominations. After leaving his career as an actor, Horneff opened Training Grounds Jiu-Jitsu & MMA ...
(older) *'' The Shining'' (2016) – opera, portrayed by Alejandro Vega


Characterization


''The Shining''

Danny Torrance in ''The Shining'' is one of several child characters in
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
's early fiction who deal with parental abandonment or the fear of it; other characters include
Carrie White Carrietta Nadine White is the title character and protagonist of American author Stephen King's first published 1974 horror fiction, horror novel, ''Carrie (novel), Carrie''. In every adaptation and portrayal of ''Carrie'', she is portrayed as ...
in ''
Carrie Carrie may refer to: People * Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname Places in the United States * Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nati ...
'' and Charlene "Charlie" McGee in '' Firestarter''. Heidi Strengell, in ''Dissecting Stephen King'', says, "In King's view children, like Danny Torrance, are able to deal with fantasy and terror on their own terms better than adults because of the size of their imaginative capacity and their unique position in life." The reference guide ''Characters in 20th-Century Literature'' wrote, "Some critics complain that Danny displays an improbable maturity for a child his age." Author
Dale Bailey Dale Frederick Bailey is an American author of speculative fiction, including science fiction, fantasy and horror, active in the field since 1993. He writes as Dale Bailey. Biography Bailey grew up in Princeton, West Virginia and currently lives ...
, writing about
haunted house A haunted house, spook house or ghost house in ghostlore is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were otherwise connected with the prope ...
s, said King's writing of Danny, a psychic in a haunted setting, borrowed the link made by
Shirley Jackson Shirley Hardie Jackson (December 14, 1916 – August 8, 1965) was an American writer known primarily for her works of horror and mystery. Over the duration of her writing career, which spanned over two decades, she composed six novels, two me ...
and
Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...
in their works. Bailey perceives Danny as having ambivalence toward his father; he loves Jack, but through his "shining" he can see how emotionally disturbed his father is. King said there was evidence of parallels between Danny and his father, "Danny, like Jack himself, may someday fall into behavioral patterns of the father ''he'' both loves and fears." In the novel ''The Shining'', Danny shares his power of "the shining" with several strangers, where in the film adaptation, he is secretive about it, even when confiding in fellow psychic
Dick Hallorann Richard Hallorann is a fictional character created by Stephen King from his 1977 novel '' The Shining''. He has telepathic abilities he called "the shining" and is the head chef at the Overlook Hotel. He meets Danny Torrance, a young boy who is ...
. In the novel, Danny has an extraordinary intelligence, a large vocabulary, is attached to his father and is able to foresee all of Hotel Overlook's horrors. In contrast, in the film, he is portrayed as an ordinary boy with only the extraordinary power and has visions that change with events that happen at the hotel. Academic Greg Jenkins says the primary reason for Danny being less talkative was the difficulty for a child actor to memorize lines, but he said the minimal dialogue also created more suspense. Danny has an "
imaginary friend Imaginary friends (also known as pretend friends, invisible friends or made-up friends) are a psychological and social phenomenon where a friendship or other interpersonal relationship takes place in the imagination rather than physical reality. ...
" named Tony that warns him of danger and has been portrayed in different ways. ''
The Dissolve ''The Dissolve'' was a film review, news, and commentary website which was operated by Pitchfork and based in Chicago, Illinois. The site was focused on reviews, commentary, interviews, and news about contemporary and classic films.{{cite web, url ...
'' said King's novel suggests Tony as "a part of Danny, a piece of future adult potential made manifest". In Kubrick's film, Tony is only shown as imaginary, "his own crooked finger in an eerie, croaking voice". The TV miniseries, also by King, has Tony as a "glowing, flying, transparent teenager", later revealed to be a future version of himself. Bailey said of the incarnation of Tony in the original novel was "a projection of Danny's mind, giving voice to anxieties which otherwise transcend his understanding", citing as evidence the interlinking of the male Torrances' names: grandfather Mark ''Anthony'' Torrance, John ''Daniel'' "Jack" Torrance, and Daniel ''Anthony'' Torrance.


''Doctor Sleep''

Stephen King said he had been asked what happened to Danny Torrance after the events of ''The Shining'', and he decided to write its sequel ''Doctor Sleep'', which portrays Danny as an adult. In the novel, the adult Dan Torrance is depicted as an alcoholic drifter who is haunted by the memory of his father. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' said of the portrayal of Dan, "It... captures the reality of a recovering alcoholic, a state with which King is intimately familiar." King said he wanted to depict Dan as avoiding being like his parents and trying to escape his roots. In the
film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
, Dan seemingly sacrifices his own life to save Abra by destroying the Overlook, depicted as condemned but still standing; this is a nod to the ending of King's novel ''The Shining''.


References


Further reading

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Torrance, Danny Child characters in film Child characters in literature Male characters in literature Literary characters introduced in 1977 Stephen King characters Fictional telepaths Fictional alcohol abusers Fictional characters with post-traumatic stress disorder Fictional characters from Vermont Fictional victims of domestic abuse The Shining (franchise) Male horror film characters