At first glance Neil Gaiman’s short story, “Don’t Ask Jack”, may seem like the typical gothic literature, similar to works of Edgar Alan Poe. However, by looking at literary devices, we can see how Jack symbolizes suppressed memories, which most readers don’t see. This is significant because it makes the reader reflect on their own suppressed memories. Gaiman also uses the word “Jack” in two different contexts so that the reader can interpret the story in two different ways, while maintaining the same gothic theme throughout the entire story.

In the text “Jack” is first identified as an object, “a box, carved and painted in gold and red.” In this instance “Jack” is no more than an old treasure. “It was undoubtedly attractive and so, or so the grownups maintained, quite valuable-perhaps even antique” Their parents loved to be reminded of the fun times that they had in their more youthful days. It represented a loving memento from the parents’ childhoods. To them, the box was broken, useless and signified nothing more than playful memories. They would place this keepsake up on the mantel because they wanted to remember these moments. This was the reality of the story and it contradicted with the rest of the text in order to mystify the reader.

 However, the children of the house personified Jack. They allow Jack to morph into his own person, going from an “it” to a “he”.  The children saw Jack as evil, which gave the text a more eerie theme and this is what mirrors the styles of Edgar Alan Poe. Jack became roughly a supernatural being, which gave the story a completely different perspective. On the surface it seems as if Jack is haunting the children. “He is waiting for the children. He can wait forever.” The reader then is forced to draw the conclusion that jack is responsible for the brother’s madness. To the children, Jack, represented all the fears, doubts, and darkness of youth that they had attempted to suppress but could not forget completely. Sadness and reality would kick in as they grew older because they were trying to make sense of the events that they had witnessed as a child. The memories of Jack that were supposed to fade, did not and when they thought back on their childhood they would remember this old creepy toy. Their resulting fear of the object later in life is a direct result of their inability to close that door of their minds. The only remaining option is to sever all ties with the object that prevents them from moving forward. “And when they grew up and left the great house, the attic nursery was closed up and almost forgotten...” This quote is significant because it shows the children’s efforts to cut off that part of their life. They wanted to forget those eerie moments where they let their imaginations take over.

As a symbol “Jack” represented suppressed memories. As kids they were allowed to see jack for what he really was, but once they were grown they were no longer able to open the door to Jack’s world. which in actuality represented their young imagination and happy times. They became their parents and saw Jack as nothing more than a box with, “The latch, unfortunately, rusted shut...”. Jack also represents imagination and creativity. The children had the ability to communicate with Jack, which is a luxury that their parents seemed to have lost. Later on in the jack not only represents suppressed memories but he represents the house as a whole. The house becomes boarded up and abandoned by the family just as jack was years before. It also reflects the abandonment of the mad brother, who essentially has been forgotten by the only two family members he has left. 

The gothic theme of this piece is also reflected in the suspenseful setting and syntax. Gaiman’s use of “the Great War” and “the nursey” only add to the eerie nature of the old abandoned mansion. As the story progresses the creepiness of the mansion increases. “…owls and bats have made their homes in the old attic nursey, rats build their nests among the forgotten toys.” This quote is significant because it demonstrates how some of the most terrifying creature have made this place their home. The syntax of this story alternates throughout the text. In the beginning of the story the sentences are compound and elaborate when describing the everyday life of the box. Conversely, as the story progresses each paragraph has a similar syntax. The first and last sentences are extremely short and straight forward. The sentences in between are detailed and very descriptive when describing how the children did not interact with the toy.

Essentially Neil Gaiman uses “Jack” as an object, a subject, and a symbol to give the reader a variety of ways to interpret the text. It allows the audience to think and decide for himself or herself who or what jack really is and what he symbolizes. His repetition takes the story into two completely different directions. Nevertheless, with these different interpretation Gaiman manages to maintain the gothic theme, not only through his use of imagery, but also through vocabulary, syntax, and setting. 
