Re: feet
Helga and Rod ((no email))
Fri, 29 Jan 1999 13:41:51 +0200
> Just a thought,
> If Salinger does believe that they soul is in the feet and the head is
> filled with the phoniness, so far away from the feet. Maybe that is why
> children are used as his innocents because children are generally shorter
> and hence, closer to their feet.
considering many people Salinger's work to have a heavy, eastern
philosophy (asia not new york) as influence, I think it's interesting
to note that many if not most east asian cultures consider the foot
to be the lowest and 'dirtiest' point of the body. A major insult to
be to point the bottom of ones foot at another.
Perhaps in these instances of feet coming into subject, like kissing
sybils foot, or shining shoes for fat ladies, it has to do with
Seymour's acceptance of the whole person. Not seeing what he
doesn't want to see but being intent on the inner qualities.
i don't know, I'm just throwing out the thought