Dream Catcher Point of Death


Subject: Dream Catcher Point of Death
From: Will Hochman (Hochman@scsu.ctstateu.edu)
Date: Thu Sep 28 2000 - 08:26:22 GMT


One of the things I've been thinking about is that Margaret Salinger
seems to have discounted Esme` as a major character. Maybe she's not
as "major" as Holden or Seymour or Buddy or Franny or Zooey in terms
of page count, but in some ways I think she is still very important
to Salinger's readers. She survives being orphaned, helps strangers,
cares for her brother, and is about to be happily married. Much has
been made about the dark aspects of Salinger's characters and I tend
to see the "strains" but don't mind since I think death is a very
revealing thing...I mean, Allie's death twists Holden but at least
he's feeling and dealing with it and Seymour's death actually begins
his life!

Wallace Stevens wrote "death is the mother of beauty" (I'm quoting
from memory) and I tend to see death as worthy material for any
artist...basically I'm arguing that Salinger's use of death in his
fiction doesn't have the negative connotation about his life that I
think is implied...anyone else?
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