Most of Salinger’s stories that we've read in class focused on the relationship between children and
adults and how the presence of children creates a comfortable environment for adults to let their guard
down and show their soft side. “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” is a good example of this.
adults and how the presence of children creates a comfortable environment for adults to let their guard
down and show their soft side. “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” is a good example of this.
If we judge Seymour solely based on the bits of the story that didn't include Sybil, we can conclude he's
kind of a kooky person. Muriel and her mom’s conversation set up the possibility that perhaps he isn't
quite right in the head, whether or not you choose to believe the mom’s persistent hints that Seymour’s
a lil crazy. Later, during the only scene that depicts him interacting with another adult, Seymour makes a
random paranoid comment about the woman looking at his feet. This interaction is definitely weird, but
maybe Seymour just wins the award for most awkward person of the year? I’ve been there, I can’t
judge. By the end of the story, though, there's no doubting that he's not okay. Not only does he casually
kill himself, but he does it while his wife is sleeping in the same room.
kind of a kooky person. Muriel and her mom’s conversation set up the possibility that perhaps he isn't
quite right in the head, whether or not you choose to believe the mom’s persistent hints that Seymour’s
a lil crazy. Later, during the only scene that depicts him interacting with another adult, Seymour makes a
random paranoid comment about the woman looking at his feet. This interaction is definitely weird, but
maybe Seymour just wins the award for most awkward person of the year? I’ve been there, I can’t
judge. By the end of the story, though, there's no doubting that he's not okay. Not only does he casually
kill himself, but he does it while his wife is sleeping in the same room.
Real quick, I’m going to talk about Sybil. Her mother seems like the kind of mom who only had kids
because it’s what she was told to do. She’s just biding her time before she can dress Sybil up and marry
her off to the nearest Ivy League lawyer. She is irritated by Sybil’s curiosity and-- sure it was a different,
safer time for kids to wander alone-- Sybil’s mom seems too comfortable sending her kid off
unsupervised on a beach.
because it’s what she was told to do. She’s just biding her time before she can dress Sybil up and marry
her off to the nearest Ivy League lawyer. She is irritated by Sybil’s curiosity and-- sure it was a different,
safer time for kids to wander alone-- Sybil’s mom seems too comfortable sending her kid off
unsupervised on a beach.
So with this information in mind, let's examine the scene between Seymour and Sybil.
He teased Sybil like most adults would do with little kids, took off the robe that Muriel’s mother
specifically referred to as proof of his craziness, and just generally operated like any other adult was.
This was the only point in the story where Seymour seems stable. I think the fact that Salinger only
depicts Seymour as normal when he's in the presence of a child in place of an adult speaks to a larger
point about childhood and how it intersects with adulthood. He's telling us that children are innocent,
pure creatures to the point where even the most insane adults, when conjuring up their own inner
child to successfully interact with kids, revert to their pure and innocent selves. In another sense,
Seymour is encouraging Sybil’s imagination and confidence in ways that her mother likely never will.
Seymour shows Sybil that she doesn’t have to grow up just yet, and Sybil allows Seymour a few last
moments of joy.
specifically referred to as proof of his craziness, and just generally operated like any other adult was.
This was the only point in the story where Seymour seems stable. I think the fact that Salinger only
depicts Seymour as normal when he's in the presence of a child in place of an adult speaks to a larger
point about childhood and how it intersects with adulthood. He's telling us that children are innocent,
pure creatures to the point where even the most insane adults, when conjuring up their own inner
child to successfully interact with kids, revert to their pure and innocent selves. In another sense,
Seymour is encouraging Sybil’s imagination and confidence in ways that her mother likely never will.
Seymour shows Sybil that she doesn’t have to grow up just yet, and Sybil allows Seymour a few last
moments of joy.
I think you're right that Sybil's mother seems like the type to have kids out of obligation; I also got the sense she was disinterested in her daughter from abandoning her on the beach and all (parenting is exhausting but her comment about bringing back the olive from the martini felt particularly tinged with this trope of the alcoholic regretful parent). Considering the brutality of killing himself in the same room as his wife, is Seymour a dangerous stranger for Sybil to be talking to? lol
ReplyDeleteI think it is important that the time we see Seymour acting normally is when he is around Sybil. I think part of it is that she doesn't expect anything from him in the way that the adults in his life do. They are all aware of his past and have fears about him and expectations for how he should act in the wake of whatever his problems where. But Sybil just wants to have fun in the ocean and be his friend. I think this innocence and appreciation that Salinger attributes to Sybil is what makes Seymour able to act so normal when he is with her.
ReplyDeleteI really like this post, and I agree that it seems like Sybil and Seymour complement each other: she gives him these last few moments of joy, like you said, and he gives her attention and plays with her when her mom won't. I think that, during class discussion, we were so focused on how the bananafish represents the consumerist culture that developed after the war that we didn't really talk about the effect that Sybil has on Seymour. She brings out this innocence and almost-happiness in Seymour that makes him seem, again like you said, almost normal.
ReplyDeleteI have posted 2 Blog posted regarding how Salinger incorporates innocence into his stories. I agree with you completely. One thing that I would be interested in seeing is more "normal" scenes of Seymour, in everything that Salinger gave us Seymour seemed pretty crazy. However, we can't be sure if he is acting this way because he knows he will die and has allowed his true identify to show. Perhaps on other days he would act normal, only on the day where he knows his life will end he gives up his adult facade and expereinece the freedom of childhood once again.
ReplyDelete