A few things to Neil: First, thank you for telling me about "Beatrice". I don't know how to say it without it sounding sarcastic, but you have cleared up a very trivial Salinger matter that has bugged me immeasurably for a long time. On the other hand, I suppose I could have just looked up the family tree on the Bananafish homepage (if it's on there). But thank you. You also wrote: I enjoy the list a great deal, but don't feel the >need to comment that much (or perhaps it's more that I feel I lack the >intellectual ability to make a useful comment). > ... >I should point out that although I may not "read >and run" (I joined this list didn't I), I am most definitely "an amateur >reader" so if my reading of Salinger is not very insightful I'm sorry, >but heh, I know how much I love those books. > I'm an amateur reader too, which is to say, I'm not an English professor, I've never published any criticism, and I don't have any plans to--in fact, I have plans NOT to (which admittly shouldn't be too difficult a resolution). No offense to all the published critics out there. I don't think your level of critical experience has anything to do with your ability to contribute incredibly intelligent and insightful thoughts. I hope to hear from you again in the future. That said, I'd like to shoot down your ideas now. >Whereas children feel an integral part of the world, what they >do in it is important, it's their world and they are in control of it. >THEY KNOW. I have to disagree. I do agree with that quote above, but I disagree with the implied converse to that, which is that adults don't feel an integral part of their world, don't think what they do is important, and perhaps feel TOO much in control of their world. Was it Emerson (I can feel you all cringing at my lack of knowledge) who said "The world is too much with us"? I think that once you learn how small you are, how no matter what you do you it doesn't change the fact that you die at the end, and yet be able to still make moral decisions, you are in a good position to live. Not apathetic, but not terribly idealist. Maybe I've been reading some Sartre lately, though. Brendan ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com