From Daumier to Smith
Jonathan Moritz (Jonathan.Moritz@utas.edu.au)
Tue, 14 Sep 1999 12:31:49 +1000
> He seemed to be less self-reflective than some of Salinger's other
> characters, lacking (apparently) Zooey and Franny's ability to be self
> critical. He seemed somewhat dishonest too at points.
Isn't that one of the Points of the story, that he is phoney Daumier at an
early Point in the story, and honest Smith either by the end of the story,
or by the time he comes to narrate it. The narrator acknowledges himself
that "things were so bad that..." (or something to that effect), which puts
it in the past tense, making it clear that although Daumier WAS not
self-critical, the narrator/Smith IS. His honesty is being prepared to show
the "before state", and the point of transition.
John Russell, in an article titled "From Daumier to Smith", I think, argues
that this story is pivotal in Salinger's canon. He also argues the scene at
the orthopedics window, gives us one the clearest insights into Salinger's
writings - namely that feet/balance is instinctive, and it's the
occasional interference from something (eg. an audience), via our head,
that causes imbalance, instability. A couple of short extracts from
Russell's article to illustrate:
_______
At the moment of his transcendent experience which lets him make his peace
with a once disgusting orthopedics window "I had to put my hand on the
glass," he says, "to keep my balance."
_______
...feet themselves are left to take care of themselves and they keep us up
or going as they do so. They go along by habit, and Salinger commends
instinctual habit in his people. Nor is it any extension to say that it is
the nun's HABIT he has in mind when he has de Daumier Smith say in his
diary that "Everybody is a nun." ... So this crucial scene shows the
intrusive character throwing the innocent one into imbalance, but goes on
to assert the conscious return to balance and to habit that earns for this
shop girl the sobriquet of nun and that turns de Daumier Smith's life
around.
_______
Another short article I like is by Mike Tierce, "Salinger's De
Daumier-Smith's Blue period", The Explicator. v. 42 Fall '83 p. 56-8. The
article discusses how the story has repeated references to chairs as "the
symbol of his new sense of security". Early in the story, he has to stand
on buses, remembers dentist's chairs, and has no chair in his room. His
getting out of the Blue Period is tightly linked by Salinger in text as:
"It may have had something to do with the fact that, before sitting down to
write, I'd brought a chair up from downstairs".