The story takes a while to get used to because its told from the point of view of a five year old boy, Jack, who lives with his Ma in a single room. He has never left it and objects in the room are treated as people, addressed with capital letters, as they are his only friends. They have a TV but the things he sees on it are perceived as not the outside world (as he knows nothing but the room and his mother does not want him to believe there is more out there) but unreal.Old Nick provides food and clothing and removes the trash. He is the father and visits in the night to have sex with Ma while Jack sleeps in Wardrobe. It is gradually revealed that Ma was abducted while at college and been held captive for seven years. Two years into her captivity she gave birth to Jack.
