In a message dated 98-02-05 00:18:18 EST, you write: << << And hadn't the thought further occurred to you that Every Main Character in F and Z were Actors? What does that say about their personalities, their speech habits, their mannerisms? I felt--especially in "Zooey" and in his dialog with his mother--that the two were deliberately trying to manipulate each other using the tricks of their trade. >> Ok, the first quote here was by me. << If you're going to write about the redemption of the soul I don't think it's humanly possible to do so with any conviction whilst setting your story in the Upper East Side. The stews of St Petersburgh perhaps, or a carpenter's shop in Galilee, or the Gulag Archipelago. But who'd really want a painting of the Resurrection by Warhol ?>> and the above quote was by Scottie. << Ok.That first quote I was thinking that that guy is just saying that Salinger is shown within his characters.But then with the 2nd quote and more later on,I find you to be a lot like a few people I have me in my short life.You act like the character's Zooey and Bessie are a piece of work that's easy to achieve.They're not.Try it. >> eh, I don't remember everything I said in that post, it was awhile back (on an active listserve, that means 2-3 days :) ). But I don't think I'd think that Salinger's work was easy. Maybe I spoke the way I did because Salinger Makes It Look Easy. I'd never try to pull a Salinger in my writing. Not yet. All my fictional characters are pretty Over the Top, and I try to use that to communicate meaning. I haven't been able to pull off Salinger's directed realism yet. Jim