(no subject)

WILL HOCHMAN (hochman@uscolo.edu)
Sat, 17 Jan 1998 11:33:34 -0700 (MST)

It was William Holden, but I think that 's all wrong since Holden
CAulfield got his name before said stars became famous...remember,
salinger was writing caulfield stories in late 30's early 40's...I've
teneded more to the "hold-in" thinking, and the fact that thinking about
the "caul" in caulfield helps make more sense of catcher...will

On Sat, 17 Jan 1998, Bethany M. Edstrom wrote:

> 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...
>