Curious Reactions
Brendan McKennedy (the.tourist@mailexcite.com)
Sun, 28 Dec 1997 23:06:32 -0700
I just reread "Raise High", and for the
first time I was surprised by Buddy's change
of mood after reading Seymour's diary--
particularly his demeanor towards the bride's
father's uncle. After reading those portions
of Seymour's diary, I'm prepared for a Life
Change, ready to go out and be Nice and
Accepting of Everyone and Their Faults. Were
I Buddy, I think I might close that diary and
face the guests with the brightest of meins.
Instead, Buddy seems plain exhausted--exhausted
enough to be slightly annoyed by the Deaf Man's presence. Perhaps it's that I'm
at an age where,
if people don't respond to things in the same
fashion as I, I question their motives and possibly their sanity.
The thing is, the Deaf Man seems to represent
something important throughout the story
(duh...)--at times I think he's a vicarious
presence of Seymour, at other times I think
he's the manifestation of Buddy's purely Zen alter-ego...Tonight, I'm not sure what
I think
he might be, but it's something more than just
a deaf old tagalong (no offense to any deaf old tagalongs who may subscribe).
I just wonder that Buddy took such a downward
turn in his mood at the end there. Of course
it's physically explained by the alcohol--but
alcohol in Salinger's stories always seems to
signpost some fall from Happiness or Innocence or Sanity (The guy on the line in
"Pretty Mouth",
the mom in "Uncle Wiggly"--and of COURSE Holden,
whose long-awaited drunkeness destroys "Little
Shirley Beans", a slip that begins his Fall).
Can anyone shine any light on this issue for me?
Thanks.
I hope you all enjoyed Christmas, and are still enjoying Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and any
number of
ancient or modern pagan winter festivals.
Cheers.
Brendan
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