Subject: Re: (no subject)
From: Tim O'Connor (oconnort@nyu.edu)
Date: Sat Jan 05 2002 - 17:02:06 GMT
On Sat, Jan 05, 2002 at 03:07:59PM -0500, Ally3409@aol.com wrote:
> Hello, My name is Alexandra. I'm 21 and like long walks on the beach. I enjoy
> spending my quiet time reading J.D Salinger. Nine stories is my favorite, I
> have read a Perfect Day for Bananafish about a million times. I would love to
> hear from each of you about you interpretations. Here's a little about my
> backround, I grew up on a farm in North Dakota. I have 2 older brothers, my
> dad died when I was 14 from prostate cancer. It was hard for me but now that
> I am older I have been able to comprehend the hardships. I go to Arizona
> State and love it! Anyways, now that you know a little bit about me. I hope
> this adventure takes me on a wild ride.
Welcome to the list! I don't know if we can guarantee you a wild
ride, but this place has its moments. Of what ... I don't know,
exactly. But we're always happy to see a newcomer offer an
introduction.
Time for a question in reverse, which sort of touches on a subject
that always makes me curious: If you grew up on a farm in N.D., then
how did you respond to the intensely urban elements in Salinger? It
strikes me that NYC is virtually a separate character in his fiction,
so it makes me wonder about how this environment comes across to
someone from such a different background. Now, of course, Salinger
lives about as remotely as you can live on the East Coast, so he's not
really an urban creature any longer, but once he reveled in the heart
of it all, and he made sure you missed none of that in most of his
work.
So: did finding yourself hurtled into the urban landscape seem alien
to you? Was it a stretch for you to make connections with the
settings? Or did, say, Holden's story and his narration transcend
the hurdle of the location because of its universal human qualities?
Did the city come across as something you could feel comfortable in,
or was it a stretch of the imagination for you to read and absorb
it all?
I didn't mean to overwhelm you with questions, but I'm curious about
it -- being, myself, a total urban rodent who can't seem to put the
concrete behind him, and can't imagine life WITHOUT the sounds of
breaking glass and car alarms....
Again, welcome to bananafish!
--tim o'connor
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