Subject: Re: Two Questions
From: Will Hochman (hochman@southernct.edu)
Date: Fri Aug 10 2001 - 07:05:17 GMT
Cecilia, I swear your posts are so fine I'm going to make it a
priority, a damn priority I tellya to root for the Cubs (if I have to
root for a National league team) (parenthetical Yankee pride--are you
listening Paul?). I really enjoyed Ms. Spiritual Wonder of Chicago's
comments on JM...I too feel as though past loves and lovers are not
viable non-fiction subjects in most cases...if I were clever, I could
play off the "The Heart of a Broken Story" and write about the time
I and Cecilia almost fell in love...if only they had buses in
Chicago.But I would at least like to make a few comments about this
story and yet I know I lack the creative spark to do it in style. I'm
drained...been reading letters to Salinger 2 days straight.
Nonetheless, I first want to note that "The Heart of a Broken Story"
was published in Esquire's Sept 1941 issue and there's a cartoon at
the bottom of the first page that makes geniuses out of Matthew and
Cecilia for linking this story and JM. The cartoon has two guys
eyeing a passing female and the caption reads "I think I'd like to
meet her but I can't decide if she's 19, 39, or 45." The story is
titled and the subtitle reads "The only real difficulty in concocting
a boy-meets-girl story is that, somehow, he must." Below the subtitle
is "by J.D. Salinger" and below that is *SATIRE* and below that is a
pharmacy symbol for prescriptions (The R with a slash in the leg of
the R--I don't know what it is techically called). At the end of the
story, the narrator explains why he never wrote a boy meets girl
story for Colliers which is pretty cheeky for a young writer in l941
who had just sold a few stories (including one to Colliers!). I
don't think it's a fine story but it's fun and definitely shows
Salinger's lighter, more humorous side, as well as showing that he
already thinking about story structure and playing with standard
expectations. One of the most notable aspects of the story is that it
is has an early use of "phony." Salinger is playing off make up and
appearance and has the female character writing a letter (of which
there are many in the story--are you listening Chris?) to the
narrator in jail. She wants to visit and is afraid he's fallen for a
prettier version of herself..."I'm no raving beauty. Please write me
when you're allowed to have visitors. I'd like you to take a second
look at me. I'd like to be sure that you didn't catch me at a phony
best."
Catching...phony...and isn't this a story of love appearing and
disappearing and isn't that JM's story? Phony she may be, but she
still loves him...what the hell, we all do, will
-- Will Hochman Assistant Professor of English Southern Connecticut State University 501 Crescent St, New Haven, CT 06515 203 392 5024
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