Re: Teddy / Re: entrance essays YUCK

Diego Dell'Era (dellerad@sinectis.com.ar)
Sun, 04 Jan 1998 01:21:22 -0800 

Hi all, Happy New Year! I'm sorry I couldn't say it on Jan 1, Salinger's
birthday (shame on me!)

*Hapworth2* , what you said on Jan 01 about what's the point in telling
Nicholson the vision of death makes sense, and made me think about this
story in a way I hadn't previously.
I feel that detachment, as a way of spiritual advancement, makes it
possible to act in the right direction (towards God, I hope to him...)
consciuosly, and at the same time unconsciously. That is, in early
stages you have to put up a hell of fight against all kinds of
temptations. But as that essence of good dwelling in us progresses
through reencarnation, we find the same amount of external obstacles,
but the moral errors that arise from us will be fewer and fewer. Perhaps
what Teddy was getting at by telling N. was, whether he knew it or not,
to enlighten him, though he seemed bored with the questions. I love it
when Salinger's characters teach in unorthodox ways. Zooey, an actor,
saves Franny by impersonating Seymour (at least he starts with that...),
and Teddy, a kid, offers a riddle. Kids kill me with their riddles.
(My ignorance makes me apologize for not framing this in a proper
religious scheme, like Jim's on Jan 01.)

*Eric*, about your entrance essay, I wonder if you've read Grunwald's
book on JDS (page 11):

"Concerned about his studies, Sonny's [Salinger's] parents enrolled him
in Manhattan's highly rated McBurney School when he was thirteen; at the
enrollment interview, he said he was interested in dramatics and
tropical fish." 

I quote it here because we recognize a first-rate poem when we see one,
and it might be helpful for you in these circumnstances (I can see you
grinning at the guest appearance of tropical fish in the wrong place).
In my opinion this relates perfectly with Brendan's issue of whether
Holden is inarticulate or not, which in turn relates tangently to that
of him being a Christ figure. I really like Matthew 27:13-14, the part I
think Zooey uses when describing Jesus:

"tunc dicit illi Pilatus non audis quanta adversum te dicant testimonia
et non respondit ei ad ullum verbum ita ut miraretur praeses
vehementer".

Pilatus could admire that kind of beautiful silence and courage; write
your heart out and give the examination board a chance to do the same.

PD: Incidentally, the article mentions that JDS flunked out a year
later, which is the perfect coda for such an opera prima.
I hope you'll finally master the exquisite poet's triumph: that words
obey your call. Good luck!

PD encore: Oh, a little remark about whinning, Bill said:

"So like a bit of stone I lie
Under a broken tree.
I could recover if I shrieked
My heart's agony
To a passing bird, but I am dumb
>From human dignity".
	- W.B.Yeats (from "A man young and old")


last PD: Brendan, you were great on Dec 31, I look forward to have a
blooming inbox folder with your messages again!