Re: Mr. Antolini
Malcolm Lawrence (malcolm@wolfenet.com)
Thu, 04 Dec 1997 14:13:04 -0800
Brendan McKennedy wrote:
> The children themselves are certainly not innocent people--Salinger never once wants
> us to believe that. In fact, in Teddy, Salinger tells us via Reincarnation that
> children are as corrupted (it's the wrong word, but I can't think of a better one
> right now) as adults.
>
> Remember Teddy's sister? And Ramona is no virgin mind herself, getting her invisible
> friend Runned Over...
If you'll notice though, when does Ramona report that Jimmy Jimmereeno has been runned over
and killed? Just after the illustration of Walt's death, which apparently not only couldn't
Lew deal with, but Eloise couldn't either, as she herself starts to break down after
relating the story, and the denial of emotion is seen as the only valid way to keep the
conversation/her own sanity going. "Don't cry, El. Don't cry" "Who's crying?" "I know, but
don't. I mean, it isn't worth it or anything."
It appears to me that the significance of Ramona's imaginary friend getting runned over was
the fact that she treated it as an ordinary event, much like death actually is. She didn't
"kill" him. There was no malice aforethought. No guilt. Which is why she gets another
imaginary friend so quickly. And it is after Eloise realizes that Ramona has not/will not
let the death of her imaginary friend stifle her life's progress and enjoyment nor make her
neurotic, like Walt's death has obviously made Eloise (and indirectly, Lew) that she seeks
reaffirmation from Mary Jane because of an incident she hasn't forgotten which has added to
her neurosis where she was not accepted by the others because of her fashion sense. "I was a
nice girl, wasn't I?"
You'll also notice that when El tries to straighten out what she perceives as Ramona's
"neurosis" (simply because she has an imaginary friend) and tries to straighten her body's
position in bed that she grabs her by...her ankles. (Lots of ankles in Salinger's stuff,
eh?) :-)
Malcs