Subject: Re: Is "For Esmé" for real?
From: Jim Rovira (jrovira@drew.edu)
Date: Thu Dec 13 2001 - 11:30:59 GMT
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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