Feet


Subject: Feet
From: LR Pearson, Arts 99 (lp9616@bristol.ac.uk)
Date: Sat May 04 2002 - 11:46:18 EDT


Somebody asked again recently about the significance of feet in
'Bananafish' and I thought I'd have a search through the archives for
the postI made on Rilke. Here it is:

"I have been reading Rilke's "Stories of God" and came across this
interesting passage. It follows an invitation to the charater to join a
literary society.

        '"Picture to yourself," I explained with the necessary
seriousness, "Since that time hardly a moment has passed during which I
have not been resigning from some society or other, and yet there are
still societies which, so to speak, contain me."
        The young man looked, first with amazement and then with a kind
of respectful pity, AT MY FEET [capitalisation my own]. He must have
seen in them confirmation of my continuous withdrawals, for he nodded
understandingly.'"

I think this is quite significant seeing Salinger's interest in Rilke.

Incidentally, while surfing the archives, I came across the posts that
were made while I was off-list in the summer and realised that the
radio programme I was on was the one with Matthew Dodd which wasted
Will's time by not using his contribution. I haven't actually managed
to hear it yet as I was overseas at the time it was aired and didn't
manage to get a tape. They have just sent me one, after much reminding.
I can't say I'm that enthusiastic about hearing it now, though, since
responses on the list seemed to be pretty negative. I did have an
inkling it might not be very insightful, since they seemed a lot more
interested in knowing what I thought Holden looked like (not something
I have strong feelings about, I'm not a very visual person) than what I
thought about the book and Salinger in general.

Ah well,

love Lucy-Ruth
----------------------
LR Pearson, Arts 99
lp9616@bristol.ac.uk

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