Antolini: Life Imprisonment

the.tourist@excite.com
Mon, 22 Feb 1999 22:57:29 -0800 (PST)

Rick wrote:

> You bring up Mr. Antolini: I think for that to shed some light on
> a Seymour-as-predator thesis we would have to say that Seymour is to Mr.
> Antolini as Sybil is to Holden; ie. Seymour in the role of aggressor, or
> manipulator, or pervert, (mentor/tormentor) and I just don't see that
anywhere
> on that beach.

But in order to reach that conclusion, you have to assume that Mr. Antolini
really *was* a manipulator, a pervert--an assumption that I, as of this
moment, am not convinced of.  Pardon the dangling preposition.

> I think there is so much overwhelming evidence of a connection
> between Seymour and Holden (though maybe Holden/Buddy makes more sense), 

Indeed:  In Seymour: An Introduction, Buddy refers (not by title) to Catcher
In the Rye as "the only book I've ever published"--paraphrased--and that the
main character, being Holden, resembled in many ways Seymour.  Buddy also
goes on to say that Seymour, as the character written in "A Perfect Day,"
resembles Buddy more than the "real" Seymour.  

All of this gets very convoluted and tiresome when we try to think of Buddy
as a character through whom Salinger wrote all of his work.  Just thought
I'd throw it out there.

--Brendan 




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