Re: hapworth 23??


Subject: Re: hapworth 23??
From: ted vanderveldt (tvanderveldt@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Dec 19 2001 - 21:57:54 GMT


I'm glad you agree with me on the Alexander thing, and (yeah) it was mostly him. I was just
concerned that you have the same focus. I had a negative reaction to his biography, but I've
found that I generally have a negative reaction to biographies--another notable is
Ralph Freedman's biography of Hermann Hesse.

Also, I believe some try to be a bit too scholarly about Salinger. A few years ago I was annoyed
when a friend returned a copy of CATCHER IN THE RYE to me. He asked me what the hunter's hat
symbolized. I told him to keep the book until he thought he knew the answer. When he did I asked
him if it really mattered in the end.

Salinger is interesting, and his intentions are very interesting. Still, you can get caught up in
that and butcher a nice simple story.

Now, back to butchering a nice simple story by focusing on his intentions--why do you believe he
used the name "Glass" for the characters in his stories. You see, once everything is said and
done, a little butchery can be rather fun. I have a theory on the "glass" thing, but I want to
hear other opinions first.

ted,
one who believes that Seymour was sexually attracted to Muriel not Sybil
 
--- Will Hochman <hochman@southernct.edu> wrote:
> Ted, I was just joking with Jim but I think we may be ignoring some
> important Salinger issues by getting prudish. Certainly Salinger is
> not an explicitly sexual writer (I wondered about doing a search of
> the 357 pages of my dissertation to see if I even used the word
> "sex"), but recent information about his interests in young women
> biographically links to the young women in Salinger's fiction. I do
> not think the author's biographical details are great tools for
> interpreting his fiction, but I don't think they should be ignored,
> either.
>
> Just out curiosity, what scholars have you been reading who pay too
> much attention to Salinger's supposed sexual interests? If it's Paul
> Alexander you are referring to, I agree with your claim, but I'm
> wondering if you meant others as well? will
> --
> Will Hochman
>
> Assistant Professor of English
> Southern Connecticut State University
> 501 Crescent St, New Haven, CT 06515
> 203 392 5024
>
> http://www.southernct.edu/~hochman/willz.html
>
>
>
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