All and sundry
Colbourne (colby@online.net.pg)
Sun, 06 Sep 1998 13:26:28 +1000
Dear Bananafish,
This post is delivered in the commonplace.. neighbourly speaking... 3am
chat rooms... non-literary conversational tone that is so rare to this
mailing list of intellectuals :) Nonetheless....
I began thinking about symbols and metaphors, etc. in stories. Now,
we're always being warned of the perils of reading *too* closely into a
story, essentially imposing meaning on insignificant details. But then
it raises this question of being allowed to have different
interpretations of a story between different people and of course
between the author and the readers...... I want to know about symbols in
stories. Obviously, Salinger's wouldn't sit down and say 'Holden's
'people-shooting hat' can represent opposition society' ... or would he?
Then you start wondering,... I think I read somewhere that Anne Rice
(don't place her in the Kootz, King, Crichton and Grisham cateogry -
anyway, it's irrelevant) she said something about probably
subconsciously creating symbols in her stories, unintentionally. But
then again, I suppose many stories are purely subconscious reflections
anyway. Regardless, I read in this encyclopaedia entry that:
Short-story writers have developed a number of literary techniques,
including the surprise ending and epiphany. Most surprise endings
involve an unexpected event or a revealing explanation.
tales. Epiphany is a sudden comment, incident, or symbol that can be
used at any point in a story to explain the meaning of a complex event.
James Joyce, an Irish author of the early 1900's, created this
technique. He included it in a collection of short stories called
Dubliners (1914).
because short stories are...well.. shorter... the objects they do
contain have a greater requirement and potential for symbolism. But then
again, A Perfect Day for Bananafish, although a short story, is
basically another chapter in the Glass saga, which then changes things
again. What I'm trying to establish is, to what extent do we read into
Salinger's symbols (if they are indeed symbols)? Which is obviously one
of those questions that none but myself can answer.....
I respect the paedophilia spin on Seymour but have to disagree. An
argument for the paedophile angle, however, might be found in Seymour's
apparent anger at the elevator zinc woman's alleged appreciation of his
feet when contrasted with his attraction to Sybil's feet. But then
again... maybe it is just a comment on the nature of aesthetics....
The paedophile argument is the same as people claiming that Holden was
(is) homosexual, or that his relationship with Phoebe was incestual. I
think that all the business with Sybil's feet is another Salinger
appreciation for details and beauty etc. But it's sort of like 'horsing
around' as Holden called it. Holden said that he didn't like horsing
around with people he knew really well..... I read somewhere that
Holden's horsing around always contains a subtextual, subconscious level
to it, ie. when he says to Ernest's mum that he has 'a tiny litte tumor
on the brain' it's an unintentional reflection of his mental distress,
which sounds understandable enough. Anyway, I think that Seymour's just
admiring Sybil's feet. Then it reminds you of the whole Antolini
question... he was 'just simply sitting there... admiring -'....Wasn't
he? Or was he? Seymour's relationship with Sybil fleets between 'horsing
around' ("is that anywhere near Whirly Wood connecticut by any chance?")
and moments of aesthetic appreciation... like Zooey seeing the little
girl with her Dachshund - I just reached for the Franny and Zooey
reference to the little girl with her dog and somehow opened the book on
the exact page, odds 1:131 -
'God damit'.... there are nice things in the world - and I mean *nice*
things.....
That's the why I see it with Seymour and Sybil and Holden and Phoebe and
the rest of 'em. Maybe because, to a certain degree, I *choose* to see
it that way. Because the stories don't *mean* anything otherwise. And
that's what I'm here for....
I've been fleeting through odd pages of On the Road. I don't bring any
prior knowledge of 'beat' or any other culture distinctions and must say
that Kerouac is very interesting. I mean, the 'Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes'
bits are... well... 'psycho'. The rest doesn't interest me :)
--Brad.
Cover her face; mine eyes dazzle; she died young.
John Webster