Soldier X as Seymour


Subject: Soldier X as Seymour
ChrisJFry@aol.com
Date: Tue Mar 04 1997 - 20:57:51 GMT


Matthew Stevenson said in a post called No Subject

> does anyone else think that x in "For Esme-with Love and Squalor" is
> seymour? if not, might he be buddy? also, if it is seymour, then is esme
a
> precursor to the little girl in bananafish? a little subtle foreshadowing
maybe
> of what was to come?

I am reading through Nine Stories for the first time, and that was the first
thing I wondered. X seems to be very similar to Seymour. Also, I am curious
to know what book Seymour sent Muriel (the one that he sent from Germany,
that she refers to in the conversation with her mother). It crossed my mind
that the book by Goebbels, that X has, might be the same book. Now, I don't
know Goebbels, and have had no chance to look him/her up to know if "Die
Zeit Ohne Beispiel" is a book of poems or not. I don't speak or read German,
so I am curious to know the meaning of that title, whatever the case.

Also, if the book could possibly be the same one, it's interesting to think
about Seymour's actions and reactions to Muriel in light of Soldier X's
inscription: "Fathers and teachers, I ponder 'What is hell?' I maintain
that it is the suffering of being unable to love."

Having not read all of Salinger's books [how horrible of me, I know ; ) ,
but I'm WORKING ON IT! ], I don't know who the brother in Albany might be....

I am sure someone out there has pondered these things, and possibly these are
just commonly accepted ideas that I am seeing rather late in the game. I am
curious to hear what thoughts may exist on this possibility.

And I hadn't considered the possibilities of parallels between the girl in
Banafish, and Esme...

Curious to hear responses,
Chris
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