Subject: Esme's Compassion
From: Paul Miller (phm@midsouth.rr.com)
Date: Fri Feb 25 2000 - 14:11:18 EST
Jim wrote:
Esme is my favorite Salinger, period, and I
think it's probably his best writing. -------------------------------------
I share this preference and agree with your assessment.
I remember a critic who wrote that "Esme", the story, was a gloss on the
Dostoevski quote Sergeant X writes down. I bought into this at first. With
closer readings I find I disagree with this.
The quote Sergeant X writes is a way of reaching out and communicating to
the Nazi lady and combating her idea that life is hell with the idea from
Dostoevski that hell is the suffering of being unable to love. This latter
idea, no matter how true, will not save the Nazi lady. For one thing she
will never read it. Also ideas do not save people. Sergeant X realizes this
failed attempt when he looks down and the quote is illegible and his own
misery is very mich intact.
When he reads the letter from Esme, who we remember has been training
herself to be more compassionate, this person to person compassion is
redemptive for him. Esme has trained herself to surmount her own wall long
enough to meet others at the corner where compassion is possible.
In the christian myth, for example, it is not ideas or doctrine that save
people. It takes a person to save a person as Esme in a very real way saves
Sergeant X with her compassion.
Paul
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