At first Glance Neil Gaiman’s short story, “Don’t Ask Jack”, may seem like the typical gothic literature, like the works of Edgar Alan Poe. However, by looking at the literary devices of personification, imagery, and symbolism we can see how Jack symbolizes suppressed memories, which most reads don’t see. This is significant because it makes the reader reflect on their own suppressed memories. Gaiman also uses the word “Jack” to give the reader two different perspectives, one in which Jack is a figment of the children’s imaginations and one in which Jack is real. He is able to give these perspectives, while maintaining the same gothic theme throughout the entire story. He does this by using basic elements of writing such as setting and syntax to root the story in the Gothic genre. This allows to draw their own conclusion while still understand Gaiman theme and the genre that he was trying to convey. 

In the text “Jack” is first identified as an object using explicit imagery, “a box, carved and painted in gold and red” (71). 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” (71). 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. We see their love for the box in the way it is kept on the mantel even though it is broken and rusted shut. This is the reality of the story and it contradicts with the children’s’ perception of Jack being alive.

However, the children of the house personified Jack. They allowed Jack to morph into his own person, going from an “it” to a “he”. The children saw Jack as evil, which gave the text an 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” (73). Gaiman then proceeds to back up the children’s claim by implying that Jack is responsible for the Brother’s madness and the sisters’ decision to abandon their family home. “And when they grew up and left the Great house, the attic nursery was closed up and almost forgotten” (72). By this time in the text the reader is left wondering if Jack is alive?  And even if he isn’t real, what is it about Jack that frightens these children so much that even as adults they can’t be around him?

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 jacks world, which in reality represented their youth and strong imagination. Similar to how their parents before them weren’t able to see Jack literally. They followed in their parents’ footsteps an to them jack became nothing more than a box with, “the latch, unfortunately, rusted shut and the key lost” (71). Jack also represented 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 story Jack not only represented suppressed memories and imagination, but he also represented the house as a whole. The house becomes boarded up by the family just as Jack was years before. It also reflects the abandonment of the mad brother, who has essentially been abandoned by the only two family members he has left, perhaps because he is a reminder of what they are repressing.

The gothic theme of this piece is also reflected in the suspenseful setting and syntax. Gaiman’s use of the the Great war and the nursery only adds to the eerie nature of the old abandoned mansion. As the story progresses the Creepiness of the mansion is increases. “owls and bats have made their homes in the old attic nursery, rats build their nests among the forgotten toys” (73). This quote is significant because it demonstrates how some the most terrifying creatures have made this creepy abandoned house their safe haven. The syntax of the 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. On the other hand 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 discussing how the children did not interact with the toy. 

Essentially, Neil Gaiman uses imagery, personification, and symbolism to give the reader a variety of ways to interpret the text. It allows the audience to think and decide 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 interpretations Gaiman manages to Maintain the gothic theme, not only through his use of imagery, but also through syntax and setting. By analyzing all these various aspects of the text, the reader begins to create versions of the story that Gaiman may not have meant to depict but it makes the story more thought-provoking.
