T e novel is narrated by Jack, who is just turning fi ve when the story begins. He wakes up in bed beside his mother, although the night before he went to sleep in the wardrobe. We learn that he was born on the fl oor of this room and that there is still a stain on the rug where his mother gave birth. As a birthday present his mother – Ma – gives him a sketch she made of him while he was asleep and Jack is unhappy that she was awake when he was not.
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Jack and Ma agree to hide the sketch in the wardrobe so somebody called ‘Old Nick’ will not see it. Ma is still breastfeeding Jack and when she suggests weaning, now that he is fi ve, Jack says, ‘No way Jose’.
Aſt er breakfast Jack and Ma brush their teeth and Jack comments that Ma’s teeth are ‘pretty rotted’ because there was a time she was so depressed that she didn’t brush them at all.
Ma and Jack have to chop food on the table, and there is so little space that aſt er meals the chairs have to be folded fl at. T ere is a metal door with a keypad lock and this door only ever opens when Jack is in bed in the wardrobe. T e only natural light is from a skylight. Jack believes that anything outside Room is ‘Outer Space’. He does not know that it is possible to go outside and he believes that what he sees on TV is not real.
Old Nick is mentioned again and we learn that he is twice Ma’s age, only ever visits at night and that Ma is afraid of him. She never calls him anything but ‘Old Nick’ and ‘him’.
Ma measures Jack to see if he is bigger now that he is fi ve. T ere are marks on the wall beside the door showing what height he was each year of his life. Aſt erwards, Ma and Jack exercise by piling their furniture onto the bed and using the fl oor space to run and jump.
Jack and Ma have only a few books and have to make toys and games out of cereal boxes, eggshells and kitchen implements. T ey make a ruler out of cardboard and determine that Room is eleven feet square.
