Al Shockley Character Analysis in The Shining

A member of the Board of Directors at the Overlook Hotel and Jack’s former drinking buddy. Al and his associates bought into the hotel in 1970, and Al also sits on the Board of Directors at Stovington Prep—where Jack was a teacher before assaulting George Hatfield—a seat left to Al after his father, a wealthy steel baron, passed away. When Jack was hired to teach at Stovington, he was drawn to Al, who is also an alcoholic, and they became close friends. Al and Jack spent many nights and weekends on alcoholic benders, but they both quit drinking after Al hit a bicycle in the middle of the road driving drunk in his Jaguar. Al nearly convinced the board at Stovington to give Jack tenure, until Jack nearly killed George Hatfield when he caught George vandalizing his car, and they demanded Jack’s resignation. Al hopes to convince the board that they were hasty in firing Jack, but in the meantime, he gets Jack the job at the Overlook Hotel. Al forbids Jack to write a book about the Overlook, and he is quite secretive about the hotel and its history. Jack continues to research the hotel in spite of Al’s order and is willing to sacrifice their friendship to discover the hotel’s deepest secrets. There is no evidence to suggest that Al is involved with the darker side of the Overlook, but he is certainly invested in the hotel and hopes to be for a very long time. After Jack is killed in the explosion at the Overlook Hotel, Al gives Wendy a job somewhere in Maryland.

Al Shockley Character Timeline in The Shining

The timeline below shows where the character Al Shockley appears in The Shining. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Fear, the Paranormal, and Reality Theme Icon

...will show him the basement and boiler, and then Ullman says that if not for Al Shockley, a powerful man who sits on the hotel’s Board of Directors, he would never... (full context)

...hotel, and he sold it to some California investors, who in turn sold it to Al Shockley and his associates in 1970. (full context)

...total drunk. Jack interrupts Ullman and tells him that he no longer drinks. Ullman nods. Al Shockley has already told Ullman that Jack is sober, but Al also told him how... (full context)

...to return in the family’s rundown old Volkswagen. Wendy silently curses Jack and his pride. Al Shockley had offered a pay advance, but Jack refused. She hates the Boulder apartment compared... (full context)

Precognition, Second Sight, and the Shining Theme Icon

...on it since Danny is prone to “fainting spells”—but Jack wants privacy. He is calling Al to thank him for the job, and he would rather not do it in front... (full context)

...a small savings account. Then, Jack “lost his temper” with George Hatfield. Jack remembers when Al told him that the Board of Directors at Stovington wanted his resignation. Jack gave it... (full context)

...picks up the phone. For a handful of quarters, the operator will connect Jack with Al, who is 2,000 miles away, for three minutes. “Time is relative, baby,” Jack says to... (full context)

At the time, Al and his wife were separated, and Jack and Wendy’s marriage was falling apart, too. Jack... (full context)

...concerned, was the end of his marriage. One night, Jack was out late drinking with Al, and Al was driving him home in his Jaguar. Al took the curve at 70... (full context)

Al finally picks up the phone. Jack tells him that he just called to say thank... (full context)

...bring herself to say the word. Jack drank all day, every day, and weekends with Al were even worse. Wendy was in constant pain, and she couldn’t help but wonder how... (full context)

...an accident. After the night Danny had the dream about the accident, Jack changed. Even Al said nothing happened that night, but Wendy knew he was lying. She kept a close... (full context)

...He didn’t do things; things were done to him. But Jack knows that he and Al had been alcoholics and drifted to each other because of it, and Jack knows that... (full context)

...just like when she would ask him a million questions during his drinking days with Al. She drove him to drink, Jack thinks. She certainly wasn’t the only reason, Jack admits,... (full context)

...into the interview and embarrassed him, and Ullman threatens to fire him. Jack says that Al Shockley wouldn’t like that, but Ullman says that Jack overestimates his importance. Jack ignores Ullman... (full context)

...convinced he wouldn’t lose his own job in the process, and he promises to call Al Shockley immediately. Jack tells Ullman not to worry—there will be nothing in the book that... (full context)

...He can still taste the Excedrin on his tongue and thinks about the call from Al Shockley that came earlier in the evening. When Jack picked up the ringing phone, Al... (full context)

Although, Jack admitted, he would like to write a book about the Overlook. It would be... (full context)

Jack asked Al if he is fired from the Overlook, and Al said that he isn’t, as long... (full context)

...the constant chewing of Excedrin. Wendy is worried that Jack’s temper will return, too. When Al called earlier, Wendy noticed that Danny lost interest in the book he was learning to... (full context)

...Dr. Edmonds claimed. When she helped Danny get ready for bed, she causally mentioned that Al called, and Danny said he knew all about it. Al was angry, Danny said, because... (full context)

...basement like someone feeling around a strange room for a light switch. He accepts that Al doesn’t want him to write a book about the hotel, and he believes his experience... (full context)

...like wiping his mouth and chewing aspirin, and now there is this writing project that Al has forbidden. Jack asks Wendy how she could possibly know about that, and she says... (full context)

Jack asks Danny if he really knew about his conversation with Al, and Danny admits he did. He says that he knows all about how Jack called... (full context)

...being broke and homeless will be. And what is Jack supposed to do? Explain to Al that ghosts are after Danny, so he had to shut down the boiler and leave... (full context)

Wendy tells Hallorann that she is going to take the job Al Shockley offered her in Maryland. Maryland looks like a nice place to raise Danny, and... (full context)