Re: Seymour: A Continuation

Camille Scaysbrook (verona_beach@hotpop.com)
Thu, 14 Oct 1999 10:00:57 +1000

Jim wrote:
> I don't think anyone's saying the Hapworth letters are flawed.  My
problem is 
> that they're not flawed enough.  Too much light and brilliance for a
seven 
> year old.  Too mature a prose style, too well read, too too much of 
> everything **good**.

The more I read (and things are leaping out at me than I ever remember),
the more I understand that Salinger's use of Seymour is both directly
challenging and central to some of the theses expounded in, for example,
`Teddy'. Scattered all the way throughout Hapworth are distorted references
to age - Mrs Happy is referred to as `a kid', a 26 year old as `no spring
chicken' and so on. I guess what Salinger is trying to impress upon us is
the arbitrary nature of age.

My copy of Hapworth is positively smeared with comments, which I will
compile into a grand document when I get the time. It's actually not bad,
guys!

Camille
verona_beach@hotpop.com