Holden and Jane, final cut

Mattis Fishman (mattis@argos.argoscomp.com)
Wed, 20 Jan 1999 16:39:50 -0500 (EST)

    Hello fellow bananafish-of-a-feather-who-flock-together,

    Well, it looks like we have heard from all the districts and I
    think I had better try to get a refund on my deposit on that house
    in Cornish. Not that my little vignette was intended to be a work
    of literature; rather I hoped to address in a more subtle way to
    address many of the open questions, the unresolved issues, in
    The Catcher in the Rye - sort of a term paper in story form.
    And while I have seen many of you nodding silently at your monitors,
    and can think of only one good explanation for the plethora of
    cigar ends I've been receiving in the mail, I think I might make
    better use of my commended limpidity by addressing these same issues
    in a didactic manner instead.

    Before I do, I will recurse (this does not involve foul language, for
    you non-programmers out there) and preface this soon to be too long essay
    with another pseudo-creative giveaway.

    why go on and on?
    because self, self expression,
    is like a dead horse

    Those of you who caught the reference to equine abuse, and who humanely
    shout "Stop!" are invited to change the channel. As a counter balance,
    I would inform you that I am going to turn off the charm soon, Soon.

    I read an interesting line in the special-education mid-year evaluation
    of my youngest, almost two year old, son (who has the distinction of an
    extra 21st chromosome).
    It said "Will search for a highly motivating object, such as his bottle,
    by removing three layers of superimposed coverings (9-12 months)". Let
    it be in his merit, then, that I attempt similar task here. </charm>

    The strength of the original question "will Holden ever give old Jane
    a buzz", in my opinion goes beyond speculative fantasies, or fan fiction.
    It addresses a basic aspect of Holden's personality, indeed many aspects,
    and to form an answer requires a close reading, as Will says, and
    a rereading. As such, it is as infinitely distant from "what would
    Phoebe think of Jane", as intriguing as that does sound, as it is from
    the amusing "what was Walt's favorite song".

    When we consider those aspects of Holden, and combine it with Will's
    rightfully expected close reading, I admit that the first answer that
    suggests itself is much closer to the pathetic rendition first presented.

    Holden has demonstrated a tendency to romanticize the past, and resists and
    resents any possible assault on the sanctuary of his idealized memories.
    Think of Stradlater and the baseball mitt, the obscenity on school wall.
    Sometimes I even miss old Maurice. Once we learn that he has such an
    affection for the childlike petulance of his now sexually active 
    former playmate, it follows that he would be reluctant, to say the
    least, to jeopardize his iconic image of her.

    Another consideration is the veracity of his announced intention.
    More than just warming himself in the glow of his nostalgic
    affection, Holden teases himself with the thought of calling her,
    repeatedly evoking Jane's memory as his rescuing train in the distance.
    Yet Holden is a master of immature self-deception.  What is there to
    suggest that he is not just using the mantra of "maybe I'll just give
    old Jane buzz" as his way of fooling himself into thinking that she is
    literally the girl of his dreams? That he has any intention of calling her?

    If we take what we read about Holden and apply it, then, to our
    question the answer seems to be Camille's and Liz's "No!".

    I think a close reading might take other things into account.
    The narrative takes place in the past, yet it deliberately points
    to the future both at its beginning at its end. He has been called
    an unreliable narrator, indicating that we cannot always take his word
    for the true nature of the people and events described in the book.
    As an example, many of our list members have pointed to his quick judgement
    of Mr. Antolini, whose true nature appears to be deliberately ambiguous.

    Another thing, I think our affection for (and in some cases identification
    with) Holden comes from more than a condescending form of empathy, a
    head-shaking, smiling, conspiratorial wink. He has, after all, a highly
    tuned set of perceptions and an innocent childlike standard of judgement
    for everything, it seems, except himself.

    If we take these things together, the possibility that Holden's
    description of the world may not be accurate, that he has some
    remarkable, exceptional, capabilities of his own, and the suggestion
    that he has already set a foot into the future, then I think that
    we can reunderstand our question, emphasizing the word "ever", as
    asking if Holden has within himself the capability to graduate
    from pathetic to enlightened, from self-contradictory to consistent,
    and any other applicable adjectives, and if so by what means.

    I took the approach that as Jane and Esme's old playmate, and a first
    cousin of Seymour's, that Holden was certainly going to make it.
    By reversing a bit of the unreliable reality, adding a dash of
    the Wizard of Oz and Kurt Vonnegut, some personal experience and
    some pseudo-Seymourisms, I hoped to get a glimpse of what his path might
    have been and share it with you.

    The whole exercise, including this overly long term paper, was basically
    the result of a slow period in the list. I really have no desire to turn
    it into the bananafishman list, and would rather read a hundred posts by
    all of you than one of mine. I really did think that there would have been
    more discussion, though what there has been, has certainly been
    educational and informed. You may recall, that I find your silent nods
    agreeable as well.

    I would like to make one observation, though. I think I can make it
    even though I am aware that it may sound like a complaint, and even
    though I may lapse into charming-mode, which you all realize is a
    coverup by now.

    For all that this is a group of friendly, essentially non-confrontational
    human beings, kind enough to deserve the warm write-up in the Australian
    press for its magnanimity, I don't have the sense that we have managed
    to build much of what is called in touchy-feely an "online community".
    I have no right to expect, but no right not to expect as much from
    you as I would get from my high school wrestling teammates, those
    semi-literate future fraternity brothers who had dubbed me "Merv" to go
    along with my thick glasses, jewish name, and good grades, and who would,
    after I had invariably taken all too short a time to find myself
    staring up at the gym ceiling in my latest defeat, pat me gently on the
    shoulder and say "nice try, Merv". I hope I have made that last sentence
    long enough so that only those of you who understand it understand it,
    and will be considerate enough not to comment upon it. The secretary
    will disavow any knowledge of my actions.

    Anyway, I think I'll give old Camille a buzz.

    all the best,
    Merv