Subject: Re: Salinger characters as role models?
From: Rod Lobaugh (ral@xc.org)
Date: Sat Jun 14 1997 - 16:10:56 GMT
>
> What were Holden's mistakes? Seymour's? (Not suicide, please.) Could
> any conscious action on either character's part have altered their
> demise? Have you learned anything from these stories?
>
Whoa Steve...go for it there big guy.
All I'm throwing out are questions. To say what I was refering to
would be, I suppose in Holden's case, maybe the general distrust in
humanity? Holding others up to levels that you can't achieve
yourself? Um, maybe? Seymour's? Well, no not suicide. I don't
think suicide is a positive thing though, but that was (in regards to
the view I am poseing, just trying to see this view point shaped out
since I think people do believe this, quite possibly me but I'm not
sure) the symptom of the disease. So what disease could we say
Seymour might have had? Well, that too is debateable. (Maybe that's
what Buddy was trying to figure out in all his writings. Why did his
brother do it, what was wrong because I think it seems pretty
freaking clear Buddy doesn't like that Seymour's dead and therefore
he would see it as a bad thing as well.) I don't totally understand
Holden but I feel a better grip on him than Seymour. I don't know.
It's all up in Salinger's head anyway. Maybe he was trying to write
a story about the perfect guy that couldn't handle this world.
So from my understanding, maybe Holden could have extended a little
trust. It sounds like he did in the end. If we are to assume he
wasn't lieing the whole time in the book, then he was telling the
truth to someone. And he could have did something about this
fucked up planet instead of sitting around and hateing it all. He
could've.
Seymour? Well I don't know. Maybe he couldn't have did anything
short of isolateing himself in the mountains somewhere with no phone.
Um, and have I learned anything from these stories? Well...yada yada
yada ya know, I just gazed at the pretty covers and all. Could've.
Or they could have had a really strong impact on my life, and through
the ol'bananafish list I wanted to broaden my view of Salingers
writings by asking a bunch of annoying questions that not everyone is
comfortable with.
yada yada yada,
Rod
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