RE: The Sound of Silence and Dancing Wu Li Minds

I have pondered your offering on the Pond altar and I can't find any fault
with it, but the Glasses are another story or THE story. I did find this
beneficial. Curiously enough it doesn't sound out of synch with Jim's
Section Man essay. Could you please elaborate more on DDSBP?

Gratefully
Daniel

Most of Salinger's characters contract banana-fever early in their lives.
They also choose not to go down that path, as exemplified masterfully by the

Anonymous Man in DDSBP. Some ride the fence, such as Nicholson in Teddy,
someone who may take a passing interest, even commit serious study to the
Way yet fail to grasp it. I would bet those professors who "grilled" Teddy
are good examples of what I am talking about. Intellectualization, in this
tradition, never leads to Realization. That is precisely why Buddy failed.
While Seymour's briliance was unparalleled, he also believed in
indiscrimination. So those obese smelly white trash ladies loafing on the
porch are just as important as the revered and awe-inspiring Billy Black.
Buddy never could accept this, which is why we sense the judgements in his
description of the Matron-of-Honor and also Muriel of course. But it is her
book-club mom, whom Seymour pulls for, that he really dislikes. So, like
Zooey, he avoids human contact and hunkers down somewhere obscure in life.
While he records the life and times of his late, reticulate brother, Buddy ,

as a person, is nothing more than a murmer under the resonate voice of his
brother. Exactly why the Glass family points out his mimicry, and why he
retreats to his comfortable hermitage.

I hope you found this, if not an answer, at the least benefical, as it felt
good to write it.

John Gedsudski
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Received on Wed Feb 5 16:37:54 2003