J.D. Salinger on Time Magazine

Image: Time Magazine

Thematic Obsessions of J.D. Salinger

            The thematic obsessions of an author can communicate many things, such as the author’s personal opinions or fascinations with life. The legendary author J.D. Salinger had a continuous literary obsession with age. Salinger’s young characters have a deeper insight into life than his adult characters. This expresses the idea that as children turn into adults, they lose their great ability to think for themselves and begin conform to society’s expectations and standards.

            The character Eloise in “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut” by J.D. Salinger is a primary example of an adult who has lost the passion and happiness that she once had as a young woman. Although Eloise is still young, she is married and has a child named Ramona. Throughout the short story it is obvious that she “[looks] back to [her] younger years as a time of joy and happiness and [seems] dissatisfied with [her] current [life]” (Bouchard). Her feeling of regret becomes apparent during the story of her first love, Walt, who died during World War II. She says of Walt, “he was the only boy I ever knew that could make me laugh. I mean really laugh” (Salinger, “Nine Stories” 28). Walt, for Eloise, symbolizes her youth. This youth represents a time in which she was truly happy, unlike her present state. This emphasizes the common theme in Salinger’s writings, that as a person ages, he or she loses the happiness, satisfaction, and, in Eloise’s case, love and laughter that was so prevalent in his or her life. Eloise also exposes how adults conform to society’s expectations. Instead of living a loving marriage, she settles for a husband who she clearly does not care for. When her friend asks her why she married her husband, Eloise responds, “oh, God! I don’t know. He told me he loved Jane Austen [...] I found out after we were married that he hadn’t even read one of her books” (Salinger, “Nine Stories” 32). Obviously, Eloise merely married Lew because it is society’s expectation that once a woman reaches a certain age, she must get married and have children. Such conformity makes her extremely discontented, though. By Salinger making it so apparent how miserable Eloise is with her husband, he directly contrasts this relationship with the bond she had with Walt. The relationship with Walt symbolizes her past, her youth, and her bliss. The relationship with Lew symbolizes her present, her adulthood, and her dissatisfaction. By providing two symbolic relationships, Salinger directly shows how growing up decays the things that once brought joy. Love turns to boredom, and youth turns into adulthood.

            Esmé, the young girl in the short story, “For Esmé - With Love and Squalor” by Salinger, represents the children created by Salinger that symbolize the innocence of youth. This story is essentially about how a simple conversation with a brilliant little girl brings sanity to a soldier experiencing the aftermath of World War II. The narrator meets Esmé, though, before he has been drastically affected by the war. He is in a training course in England and has some spare time before departing. He eventually has a long conversation with the child, and he gives her his information so she can write to him (Salinger, “Nine Stories” 92-102). The reader discovers during the conversation how intelligent the little girl is as she uses advanced diction such as “squalor” and demonstrates her bilingual abilities, speaking in French and English (Salinger, “Nine Stories” 100; 101). Esmé also demonstrates the sincerity of children, asking the soldier, “do you think you’ll be coming here again in the immediate future?” (Salinger, “Nine Stories” 101). The genuine and obvious want to see this soldier again is clearly seen through this simple question of the child. This is a human who values the conversation of another and such genuine interest in the soldier and kindness is what will eventually save the soul and sanity of this man. Esmé brings humanity and hope to a man who will soon be distressed. The story then travels forward to a time when the war has just ended, and the same soldier has clearly been affected mentally by the war. In this portion of the story, the soldier seems disturbed in the mind, but after reading a letter form Esmé he says “then, suddenly, almost ecstatically, he felt sleepy. You take a really sleepy man, Esmé, and he always stands a change of again becoming a man with all his fac- with all his f-a-c-u-l-t-i-e-s intact” (Salinger, “Nine Stories” 114). Esmé’s kind heartedness so greatly affects the mentally shaken soldier that she brings him peace simply through a letter. His memory of time with her brings relief to him, something that, to Salinger, only a child can do. This is apparent because before the soldier reads Esmé’s letter, he has a conversation with a fellow comrade (Salinger, “Nine Stories” 106-111). All this conversation does is make him more tense and confused. This is because his comrade is also an adult, also someone who has been tainted with the destruction age brings. But Esmé, in her childlike wholesomeness, is able to remind the soldier of a more peaceful time. As Bouchard says, “in "For Esmé – with Love and Squalor" it is precisely Esmé's purity and kindness that saves the damaged soldier from his own jaded mind.” Without Esmé being a child, though, this would be impossible in Salinger’s writings.

            Although Salinger’s opinions of adults and children may not always be true, it is plausible that the youth of each generation brings a refreshing morality that adults often lose. This is a constant idea in many of Salinger’s works, one that often causes great controversy and discussion. Yet, it is important to recognize the refreshing purity that children can bring to the world.

Works Cited:

Bouchard, Jennifer. "Literary Contexts In Fiction: J.D. Salinger's "Nine Stories." Literary Contexts In Short Stories   Collections: J. D. Salinger's 'Nine Stories' (2008): 1. Literary Reference Center. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.     

Salinger, J.D. Nine Stories. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1991.

Salinger Quote

2010 San Diego Historical Society

Prayer Book

Book: Barnes and Noble

This is the novel that Franny becomes obsessed with in

"Franny and Zooey" by J.D. Salinger. Its religious ideas intrigue her throughout the book.

Analyzing "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" Through the Psychoanalytic Lens

     Certain events in books can be shocking, unexpected, and even disheartening. The reasoning behind these actions, though, is what J.D. Salinger focuses on in his short story, “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.” The main character, Seymour Glass, chooses to commit suicide in the final scene of the story. His decision to kill himself can be explained by analyzing his mental state of mind. The actions, comments, and dialogue in the story provide evidence for why Seymour feels that death is his only option.

       The first hint that Seymour is not in a healthy state of mind appears during his wife, Muriel’s, conversation with her mother. Her mother is extremely worried that Muriel is vacationing alone with Seymour in Florida. She has called her on the phone, asking many intriguing question that force the reader to wonder about Seymour’s actions. It soon becomes clear from this conversation that Seymour was a soldier in World War II and may be suffering mental effects from the war. Muriel’s mother tells her daughter that a doctor was spoken to about Seymour, and the doctor “very definitely told [her] father there’s a chance- a very great chance, he said- that Seymour may completely lose control of himself” (“Nine Stories” 6). At this point, it is exceedingly apparent that Seymour is a very disturbed character who may be suffering from a serious illness: post traumatic stress disorder. This idea is furthered throughout their conversation, as Muriel’s mother mentions “those horrible things he said to Granny about her plans for passing away,” potentially hinting at an obsession with death (“Nine Stories” 6). This mention of death foreshadows Seymour’s decision to take his own life. Muriel also constantly comments on how pale Seymour is, almost looking like a sickly man (“Nine Stories” 8). These topics throughout their conversation tell the reader that Seymour is suffering from a mental illness.

       The next scene is where we finally meet Seymour, as he interacts with a child named Sybil Carpenter. Seymour tells Sybil a fictional story he creates about “bananafish.” He tells Sybil that bananafish are fish who swim into holes and eat so many bananas that they get stuck in the holes and die (“Nine Stories” 15-16). This story is symbolic of how Seymour views the world that surrounds him after the war; the world that is causing him to feel like there is no escape but death. The bananafish are representative of American adults who are consuming material items. Eventually, these people become so consumed in materialism that they are stuck in a superficial world, or the holes, which brings about their symbolic death as genuine and authentic people. This is how Seymour sees the society surrounding him, which is partly what causes him to go crazy after the war. It is challenging to imagine a person transferring from fighting for his life to worrying about what new outfit is fashionable. Salinger makes this materialism even more present if the reader refers back to the first scene. Muriel discusses fashion with her mother in the midst of talking about Seymour’s fragile state of mind. Her mother asks, “how are the clothes this year?” and Muriel responds, “terrible. But out of this world. You see sequins- everything” (“Nine Stories” 8). By Salinger directly contrasting these two subjects in their conversation, he is pointing out how petty and trivial material items are compared to the effects the war had on brave men. Clearly, this world has become one consumed by materialism, bringing about the death of not only a meaningful world, but the death of Seymour.

       The final scene in the book is where Seymour destroys himself. This happens immediately after he is in the elevator with a woman and oddly remarks to her, “I see you’re looking at my feet” (“Nine Stories” 17). This observation and his following remarks make the woman so uncomfortable that she asks the car operator to let her out (“Nine Stories” 17). This is the final thing that alerts the reader that Seymour is mentally unstable, and that his following actions are only happening because of his distressed and disturbed state of mind. Once Seymour gets out of the elevator, he enters his room and “went over and sat down on the unoccupied twin bed, looked at the girl, aimed the pistol, and fired a bullet through his right temple” (“Nine Stories” 18). The abrupt description of Seymour’s death tells the audience that he has planned this action and feels no regret about it. Such bluntness displays even further how drastically ill this man is. The war has ruined him, the post traumatic stress disorder ate at him, and the modern world he returned to killed him.

       In order to fully comprehend such a tragic story, it is important to analyze each detail in the narrative. This exposes the logic behind the actions, logic that the audience may not understand upon the first time reading the story. Once the reader takes the time to delve into the tortured mind of Seymour, though, the reasoning behind his death becomes clear.

Works Cited:

Salinger, J.D. Nine Stories. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1991.

"A Perfect Day for Bananafish" Drawing

“A Perfect Day for Bananafish,” Artist: Josh LaFayette

"A Perfect Day for Bananafish" Mock Movie Trailer

Created by user SkySky169

A mock movie trailer for J.D. Salinger's

"A Perfect Day for Bananafish" created by a Youtube user.

The Catcher in the Rye Quote

Military Service

Image: Fox Photos/Getty Images

Salinger was drafted into World War II.

His time in the war was reflected in much of his literature,

including "A Perfect Day for Bananafish."

J.D. Salinger's Writing Style

     Each author has a unique style of writing, allowing them to expose different aspects of the characters to the audience. J.D. Salinger’s focus on dialogue and third person narrative is prevalent in many of his works. Through these two styles of writing, the reader understands the relationships the characters have with each other, and how these characters interact with other people.

     The book “Franny and Zooey” by Salinger relies heavily on the use of dialogue in order to understand the way the character Franny interacts with others. Through her conversation with her boyfriend, Lane, it is understood that she is going through changes that he is shocked by. Without dialogue, though, the reader would not know that Franny is changing as a person. Franny’s odd actions begin when she acts extremely distracted in her conversation with her boyfriend. They are at lunch and he is telling her about an excellent paper he wrote, and she responds with a dry, “marvelous. I’d love to hear it.” Lane proceeds to talk about his paper further, and in the middle of his discussion, Franny asks, “you going to eat your olive, or what?” (“Franny and Zooey,” 12-13). Franny’s rude and distracted comments indicate that she is in a strange mood, although the audience still cannot be sure why. This is only apparent, though, because of her interactions with Lane. Without her abruptness in dialogue, it would not be obvious that she is acting odd to other people. Instead, the reader would only see the ideas flowing through her mind, which may not seem strange in that setting.

       Franny finally exposes the source of her distracted actions when her boyfriend asks what the book is that she has been carrying around. At first, she shyly defers the subject, but eventually she tells Lane the book is about a way of practicing religion, focusing on the idea of praying without ceasing. Franny tells Lane, “the starets tells the pilgrim that if you keep saying that prayer over and over again- you only have to just do it with your lips at first- then eventually what happens, the prayer becomes self-active” (“Franny and Zooey” 32-36). This is essentially the meaning of the book, but Franny continues to discuss the novel nonstop, even after Lane acts completely disinterested. Her constant, unyielding discussion of the novel reveals that this book has utterly consumed her thoughts. She is obsessed by such a way of practicing religion, explaining why she acted so distracted during her conversation with Lane. It is important to note, though, that Salinger uses his writing style to make her obsession apparent. By having Franny discuss the book with Lane, she demonstrates how outwardly fixated with the ideas she is. This would be much less effective if this was internal dialogue, because it would not seem compulsive to think about ideas in literature. Instead, Franny’s forceful and infatuated way of speaking about the book reveals how consumed she is by the novel’s teachings.

       Salinger also uses third person narrative in this story, a writing style that he often employs in his works. Through this narration, Salinger reveals the physical actions of the characters in the story. For example, as Franny discusses the novel, the narrator states, “she was still looking abstractedly ahead of her, past his shoulder, and seemed scarcely aware of his presence” (“Franny and Zooey” 37). By assuming a point of view that can reveal all of the actions of the characters, the audience can not only hear what Franny has to say about the religion, but visualize how she acts while discussing the religion. In this way, the narrator shows that Franny is so enveloped by the religion that she is acting in a cult like manner in which she appears possessed by the ideas. Such disregard of the people surrounding her demonstrates the deep hold this religion has on her mind. Third person narrative also allows the narrator to show how Lane reacts to Franny’s obsession. “Lane was shifting restively in his chair, and there was an expression on his face- a matter of raised eyebrows, chiefly- that she knew very well” (“Franny and Zooey” 38). Lane’s actions demonstrate how uncomfortable Franny’s discussion and fixation has made him. Clearly, the reader can tell how alarming Franny is acting by simply reading about Lane’s actions. This is the advantage to third person narrative that Salinger utilizes, that he can reveal the reactions of his characters in an unbiased way. This creates the overall effect that the reader is in the scene, watching the characters interact with each other without the prejudice that first person narrative presents.

       Without mastering such ways of writing, Salinger’s literature would not be as effective. By using these styles, he provides the audience with an impartial point of view of the story. This allows the reader to develop his or her own judgments about the characters, instead of listening to the story through the opinion of one character.

Works Cited:

Salinger, J.D. Franny and Zooey. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2010.

In Honor of His Death

Video from Channel 4 News

Salinger's Birthplace: Manhattan

Image is from Online Public Access (OPA) of the United States National Archives and

Records Administration under the National Archives Identifier 513345. 

Image from New York Mag

Seeing J.D.

Some photos of the author from San Diego HistoricalSociety/Hulton Archive Collection/Getty Images.