The Shining: Summary Stephen King's The Shining is a story about a family, the Torrances who stay at Overlook Hotel for the winter season. The father, Jack Torrance takes his family (wife, Wendy and son, Danny) up to this remote hotel to work as a caretaker for the off season. Jack is a recovering alcoholic who was fired from the university where he taught creative writing, for assaulting one of his students. He stopped drinking after he got drunk one night and nearly ripped his son Danny's arm out of his socket. So, much to his benefit the Overlook was to have no alcohol for the duration of the winter Danny is a youn