Re: Inverted Forests

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Hiya folks,

> I'm not sure I understand what you mean here, but I do think ford and
> seymour are characters that may have been linked for salinger...there's a
> lot of evidence in his early stories of characters, who in retrospect, are
> early versions of later characters...since (I'm not certain here, so
> correct me if I'm wrong) ford and seymour are salinger's only two poets, I
> do think they are connected and guess that it's Seymour's family that
> keeps him in away from the squalor that ford can't resist...
> 
For some screwy reason I got this email before the one Will was 
responding to, so when I get that maybe I'll comment straight to that 
one.  For now I'll stick to this connection between Ray Ford and 
Seymour thing.  I personally can't see much connection if you take 
the stance that Seymour is an ideal model.  That he is some sort of 
saint that we should be so lucky to be like.  Ford is a wounded.  
That is evident.  I think it's kind of bizarre because he kind of 
jumps off the "holiness" thing when he and Bunny run off.  Not 
because he left his wife (which I do think is horribly wrong in 
reality, please don't get me wrong) but because from all appearances, 
he's not writing anything substantial anymore and he's living with a 
pathetic phony.  Let's face it, Holden would have no postive comments 
at all on mrs. Bunny Croft.

Now there's another way to look at this, which is something I've been 
struggleing a bit with lately and have mentioned earlier.  If Ford 
and Seymour are viewed, not as role models, but rather as people to 
see ourselves in and then to see where we must change before we end 
up in the same situation.  Was Ford well off?  He went from being the 
"holy," revered poet to being a man lost in the past he found in 
alcohol and a messed up woman.

I'm still sitting wondering which was Salinger's intention.  Show a 
path to follow or one to get off of.  And how should we interpret 
them dispite his original intentions, whatever they maybe?

Here's another thought while I'm at it about where Salinger was 
coming from (I'm getting way off the subject here).  I crap around 
and write abit like every other human I seem to meet (everybody 
is either a writer or a poet or listens to the Spice Girls)  (I don't 
know if these..um...female figures have invaded your day yet but I 
live in Europe and they are EVERYWHERE) But anyway, I've been working 
on a story that vaguely parallels my own mental struggles in the 
past.  What I am writing is much more sever than my actual case, but 
I often wonder if it would have been close to the truth if I would 
have not changed and pulled my life back together.  Maybe the case is 
similar for J.D. Maybe we see, in his stories, shades of the life he 
was leading, and the outcome if he would have continue on his path?

Just an idea,

Rod




> > 
> > I agree with Rod that Bunny was almost bizarre, she is so far from
> > anyone or anything I know that I can't relate to her at all - does anyone
> > have any experiences with this type of person?
> > 
> Yes, sad to say, as a college prof I occasionally meet students who think
> marrying a prof is the answer to all of their problems, and some of the
> students' problems might almost make Bunny seem normal...
> 
> 
> > All the best,
> > Mattis
> > 
> 
> Thanks for the dance, Mattis!  will
> 
> 

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