(no subject)
Bethany M. Edstrom (Bethany.M.Edstrom@Dartmouth.EDU)
Sat, 17 Jan 1998 01:34:05 -0500 (EST)
I read (I think in Ian Hamilton's biography, but I could be wrong) that Holden
was named after two movie stars, Jane Caulfield, and Somebody Holden
(sorry--help me out if you know...).
With all Holden's talk about "the goddamn movies" there's got to be a
significance to this. I think it has to do with the fact that Holden is
completely wrapped up in the very phoniness that he hates. He can condemn the
movies, but he can't resist going to them, just like he can't change the fact
that they are a part of who he is.
Other "Salingerian names":
Jean de Daumier-Smith: initails JDS
Seymour Glass--a while ago someone wrote a beautiful post about this name that
sent shivers down my spine (not unlike the laser show! :-)--about what it
really means to "see more glass." Unfortuantely I can't duplicate it. But when
I think of seeing glass, I think of seeing something that at once tempts us and
limits us. A glass wall both reveals what is on the other side and refuses to
allow us to pass through it. How does this relate to Seymour--that's the hard
part... I have a few answers that don't fully satisfy me, but am reminded that
a good way to break a window is to throw a rock...