Jewish/Eskimo?
helena kim (helenak@geocities.com)
Sun, 15 Feb 1998 00:35:12 +0000
Ahimsa2000@aol.com wrote:
> So, does anyone on the list have any wisdom to impart on that topic? (I'm
> aware of the obvious, that JDS' father was Jewish, etc. etc.) I'm more
> interested in the implications of Judaism in his work, if any. The Jewish
> characteristics of the Glasses -- Muriel -- etc.
this could be very very interesting. tell us more. i don't have anything
to add, so i'm just posting to announce that i'm interested.
> On another topic, not having anything to do with this one: For some reason I
> was thinking today that I have hardly ever read or heard much praise for, or
> comment on, "Just Before the War with the Eskimos." But it is one of my
> favorite stories -- humorous, true to life, generous of spirit. It is one of
> those that plays over and over in my head in many situations, until I now
> sometimes believe that I have lived it, not just read it. Does anybody else
> feel the same way?
one of my particular favourites. i love it. i think the characters are
fabulous. the whole sour mouthed teenage girl thing is done perfectly.
and i have to admit, i'm madly in love with selena's brother. and ginnie
is great, trying to be cool, trying to help with his cut finger, and
trying to defend her sister, all at the same time. and he then makes
this strange, awkward gesture with the sandwich that belies the whole
sister-insulting, girlie-mimicking front that he's putting forward. and
ginnie is so comically sweet. she's eager to please, but she doesn't
want him to think she's a little girl, so she's like trying to be
deferent and condescending, but she's just overwhelmed by this guy who's
walking around in his pajamas in front of a complete stranger and has
thirty-something friends whose lives that are so far away from tennis
and bickering over a dollar sixty five, that she does a complete
turnaround and dismisses the cash as unimportant and wants to visit
selena (the innocent patsy) again. i just love the way he captures the
kind of so grown up and yet so young stage that girls (and boys i
presume:)) go through. she's virginia mannox, snobby woman of the world,
and at the same time ginnie, the wide-eyed helpful little girl.
:helena (valentine's day and no cards)
p.s. happy birthday malcolm!
Post-Post Script: I would like to add my profuse apologies, particularly
to one Mr. Bowman (whom I know finds sins such as these deeply
intolerable), for my blatant lack of basic grammar, sentence stucture,
and general literary coherence in the post above. Indeed, it has
recently come to my attention that subscibers are beginning to enforce a
general pull towards the more scholarly analysis of Mr. Salinger's work.
I, for one, shall do my utmost to, metaphorically, look before I leap,
and read what I've written before I post. The ocassional lapses into
complete drivel shall cease. I *know* that I have useful thoughts in
here somewhere, it's simply a matter of structuring and channeling them.
Next week on Bananafish-Digest...
--
http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/4801/