Re: Hapworthless
William Hochman (wh14@is9.nyu.edu)
Mon, 04 Oct 1999 21:59:57 -0400 (EDT)
Yes, Seymour ends his letter believing in Buddy's "leontine devotion to
his literary implements" will release him from "this enchanting vale of
tears, laughter, redeeming human love, affection, and courtesy."
Yes, there's more than a nod to the fictive twisting of fiction's illusive
reality in Salinger creating this text and the Glass family in the first
place.
I think there's a bit of a parallel to Buddy's and Seymour's withdrawal
from Camp life and Salinger's but I don't think that's as interesting as
the way "Hapworth" explains more about the Glass family. (I do understand
however that some may not enjoy learning small Glass details) (Shards!) I
think for those intersted in cracking the text, Blake can be a handy
nutcracker! The poet is
quoted in the story ("Damn braces, bless relaxes!") and then Salinger has
7 year-old Seymour write "This is quite right, but it is not very easy on
splendid families and nice people who get a little nervous or worn to a
frazzle when their loving, eldest son and brother is damning braces all
over the world." Using Blake to help frame the religious "wisdom" of a
child and his process of bypassing churches (braces?) to reach god may
make the text a bit more enjoyable.
"Would to God a simple letter were less fraught with the burdens of superb
written construction" comes from the text and my heart as well, will
On Mon, 4 Oct 1999, Matt Kozusko wrote:
>
> Why should we assume that the fab boy Cornish is proposing a realistic
> situation in "Hapworth"?