Re: BANANAFISH digest 193
AntiUtopia (AntiUtopia@aol.com)
Tue, 30 Dec 1997 14:35:03 -0500 (EST)
In a message dated 97-12-30 13:24:22 EST, you write:
<< i was curious - what was so bad? it began a feeling of empathy
> with the character before i had any sensible reason to be attached to
> him.
That's an intriguing observation. I've always been curious about why
Salinger was so emphatic about DECLARING Seymour's death, in one form
or another, in various stories. Your reaction to that warning is
pretty subtle, and is a good reading of the Glass stories, in a way
I *never* would have thought about.
--tim o'connor
>>
To be honest, reading about Seymour's death in other stories had the same
effect on me too. I empathized with the character, etc. In many ways his
presence in multiple stories makes the family believable. Seymour was a type
of guru for the family, everyone looked up to him even beyond his importance
as older brother, and he killed himself at the most unexpected moment. It
would have to be a defining moment for the entire family.
Jim