Subject: Re: New ending for CITR
From: Jim Rovira (jrovira@drew.edu)
Date: Thu Nov 08 2001 - 09:45:05 GMT
I'm beginning to think this conversation is getting silly :) But maybe
not, because we're actually talking about Salinger...
Yes, Scottie, some suicides are completely unpredicatble. Others fit into
a specifically predictable pattern. We're told by psychologists that
threats of suicide are the most serious when they're planned with specific
detail and not just general statements of dissatisfaction and
"wishing I was dead." A passing thought about suicide doesn't constitute a
serious threat -- obsessive contemplation of suicide with detailed planning
does. Yes, I agree with you, some suicides come right out of the blue.
Most of them don't. I'd offer to post this basic textbook knowledge, with
references, to the list if you want, but I think we'd both think that would
be a silly waste of time :).
But beyond even that, we're talking about a piece of fiction. Expectations
are usually set up. Beyond that, if they aren't, the surprise ending needs
to be consonant with the rest of the text, fulfilling it (if it's written
by someone with Salinger's talent) and lending it a new meaning. Holden's
suicide, had Salinger written it, would have been kitsch. That's probably
why he didn't.
I'm not really sure who's being more condescending here. I take the guy
seriously enough as a writer to tell him he's wasting his time doing
take-offs. I think he should be writing his own stuff. What's more
patronizing? "Let the kids have their fun," or, "Why aren't you using your
talent in a productive way"?
My own head, if you remember, was on the block about a Matrix article I
wrote not too very long ago -- and I hadn't even posted a link to it :) I
argued with one of the people doing the critique because I didn't think she
understood what she was reading. But I've had two very pointed and
effective critiques of the same article -- one by Robbie here on this list,
and another that really ripped it by a friend of mine. It was constructive
and I followed most of the advice given...that's how young writers
grow...by listening to readers (the biggies usually have a good editor in
the background).
I generally don't promote my own work on this list (it's a Salinger
listserve, not a Jim listserve :) ), but if and when I do, I know I'd
deserve what was coming to me, because I was literally asking for it.
Jim
Scottie Bowman wrote:
>
> '... that's light years from the way a real suicide talks
> about suicide ...'
>
> I wish Jim would tell me his secret. The unforeseen suicide
> is every decent shrink's nightmare. It's simply a mixture of
> unimaginable luck & neurotically excessive caution that has kept
> the score on my watch relatively low. I can promise Holden
> would be the subject of a daily staff review in any outfit run
> by myself.
>
> Walking about wearing the mask of laughing stoic or wearisome
> hysteric, you might be surprised to know how many of us waiting
> to become what Donne called our 'owne executioners.'
>
> Scottie B.
>
> PS - I STILL think you're behaving as sniffily superior as a bunch
> of Austenites when someone tries for a parody of one of those
> finally inconsequential books. (Except Cec, of course. At least
> she put her own head on the block.)
>
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