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.