Subject: RE: Is "For Esmé" for real?
ZazieZazie@hetnet.nl
Date: Fri Dec 14 2001 - 08:30:59 GMT
my 2 eurocents ....
i don't think Esmee is real, she's much too idealized for that, as is the little brother.
What does squalid, or squalor really mean? Is it, as the dictionary say, 'dirty'? I find that a little limiting,
are there any other meanings to the word? Or what, in the opinion of the native speakers, is the meaning intended here?
I got this book from my ex-bf, and i am not really sure what he meant by it, so there's a personal interest here as well :-)
Z.
-----Original Message-----
From: "owner-bananafish@roughdraft.org" <owner-bananafish@roughdraft.org> on behalf of "Cold Fish" <jiggyfish@hotmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 6:13 PM
To: "bananafish@roughdraft.org" <bananafish@roughdraft.org>
Subject: Re: Is "For Esmé" for real?
I want to know if JDS literally wrote "For Esmé" as the belated fulfillment
of a promise to a young, orphaned British girl to write a story for her and
"Make it extremely squalid and moving."
In other words, is "For Esmé" a work of pure fiction or a recounting of JDS'
(or, rather, Staff Sergent X's) own wartime experiences?
Judd
>From: Jim Rovira <jrovira@drew.edu>
>Reply-To: bananafish@roughdraft.org
>To: bananafish@roughdraft.org
>Subject: Re: Is "For Esmé" for real?
>Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 11:30:59 -0500
>
>heh...love your tag :).
>
>I mean, I know it's autobiographical to the extent that Chris mentioned in
>his replies to you...yes, Salinger was in the service and undoubtedly drew
>from his experiences to write his wartime fiction. The question is...how
>far do you think it's autobiographical? Are you asking all the way down to
>his meeting a young woman and her brother in a restaurant and getting a
>watch from her in the mail? The story seems to imply a motive for its own
>writing...so I wonder if Salinger himself was similarly motivated? Are you
>asking that far?
>
>Maybe Will and Tim would know :).
>
>Jim
>
>Cold Fish wrote:
> >
> > The academics in the group will have to forgive me, as I'm sure the
>question
> > I'm about to ask has been treated at length in this forum or another;
> > however, since I have yet to read commentary on the subject, I will
>raise it
> > here.
> >
> > Is there any evidence that "For Esmé with Love and Squalor" is at all
> > autobiographical? Every time I read that story -- and I read it
>frequently
> > -- I am struck by the degree of realism that I don't tend to see in
>other
> > JDS works (possibly with the exception of the Zooey half of Franny and
> > Zooey). I can't help but feel that the story is inspired by something
>unique
> > and very personal.
> >
> > I know that JDS was in the service during WWII, but I don't know where
>or if
> > he was anywhere near D-Day.
> >
> > I also know that the date of publication of the story could roughly
>coincide
> > with the character's wedding at age 18.
> >
> > Again, if this is a Salinger no-brainer, I apologize...it certainly
>feels
> > like an elementary question for this group.
> >
> > Judd
> >
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