Re: Seymour's Suicide

Sigmund (sisoeren@online.no)
Mon, 14 Jul 1997 01:06:33 +0200 

Jennifer

The way I see it is that Mr Salinger are a writer that now and then like
in moust American movies shows what happened as opposed to European
movies that rather show why it happened the way it happened.
You are most certainly not weird to feel sorry for Muriel. I say that
you have a higher social IQ than Seymour had.

Regards
Sigmund

Please excuse my imperfect english.





Unger,Jennifer B wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> I'm new to the list too (actually, I've been listening in for a while,
> but I wanted to sit back and see what was going on before I jumped in
> with my opinions.  Like a lot of people on this list, I'm not a
> literature expert.  I'm just another regular person who loved CITR in
> high school, loved all the other Salinger books in college, and got a
> little depressed when I wasn't able to find any more Salinger books that
> I hadn't read.)
> 
> Anyway, the thing that strikes me about Seymour's suicide is that he did
> it while Muriel was in the room sleeping.  There are hints throughout
> the story that he had intended to commit suicide for a while.  But why
> didn't he take the gun, find a secluded spot on the beach, and do it
> there?  Was he so disgusted with Muriel at this point that he wanted her
> to wake up to the sight of his head blown to bits all over the hotel
> room?  Seymour struck me as a person who didn't deliberately want to
> hurt anyone.  The thought of him putting a bullet through his brilliant
> (albeit tortured) brain bothers me immensely, but so does the thought of
> what Muriel will have to face when she wakes up.
> 
> Am I weird to feel sorry for Muriel (I know, it's like feeling sorry for
> the section man or some of the pretentious guys at Pency Prep), or does
> anyone else feel that way too?
> 
> Jennifer
> 
> >----------
> >From:  QNun123456@aol.com[SMTP:QNun123456@aol.com]
> >Sent:  Saturday, July 12, 1997 10:32 AM
> >To:    bananafish@lists.nyu.edu
> >Cc:    Unger,Jennifer B
> >Subject:       Seymour's Suicide
> >
> >Hi I'm new to the list!  It's great that so many people like me are
> >interested in J.D. Salinger's writing.  The first of his books I read was
> >"The Catcher in the Rye" and I thought it was the most wonderful book.
> >Anyhow, I have this question.  In "Nine Stories", you know, "A Perfect
> >Day for Bananafish", Seymour kills himself in the end.  I don't really get
> >that thing with the little girl, either.  Why does Seymour kill himself?  Any
> >thoughts?
> >             Tyjen
> >