Re: Zen and the art of ...
Camille Scaysbrook (verona_beach@geocities.com)
Thu, 04 Mar 1999 22:29:41 +1100
I was just looking through my thesis (which I haven't done for ages, not
even when I posted it to Bananafish I think) and a couple of things occured
to me.
The main thing was - Salinger originally seems to have totally abandoned
the Zen dictum that wisdom be conveyed in `as few words as possible'.
Progressively. We can generally say that his later work is a lot
longer-winded than his earlier work. The first line of the first story `The
Young Folks' has often cited as an example of text book short story writing
- the main character's world, character and attitude are established in the
first sentence. However, `Hapworth 16' would have to be diametric opposite
to this. You don't get a huge sense that Salinger wishes to parcel thoughts
into convenient carry-size as he once did. Zen dictates that we not rely on
words to convey meaning - hence Buddy's `blank page' enclosed in the cigar
box `as way of explanation'. I wonder why this is? I think it's a shame as
some of his earlier work has such a workmanlike compactness to it, just
like a haiku. Why? Is his long windedness his response to the conundrum of
the writer who can use few or no words?
Camille
verona_beach@geocities.com
@ THE ARTS HOLE http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/6442
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