Subject: Re: It's a Wise Child
From: LR Pearson, Arts 99 (lp9616@bristol.ac.uk)
Date: Thu Jan 27 2000 - 09:29:29 EST
On Thu, 27 Jan 2000 07:28:20 EST AntiUtopia@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 1/27/00 12:52:48 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> JHPAGE@worldnet.att.net writes:
>
> << I've been wondering lately.. if it was necessary for Salinger to
> characterize Seymour as the all acclaimed genius... I mean, necessary to
> bring Seymour's greatness\piety\relative meaning across. Was it Salinger's
> attempt to tell so many of us that it is impossibe to become a bananafish in
> his eyes without this IQ prerequisite? ( I don't want this to sound
> ambitious or anything, so don't read it so. ) Or is it just for show, like
> a trademark, or property? Anyway, I'd appreciate some feedback. -Jared
> >>
>
> Yeah, that's a good question. I've always seen this as part of Salinger's
> affinity with Eastern religions. There's a lot of praise for natural
> intelligence in there...like it's a prerequisite for some disciplines.
> Either that, or its the product of having attained to a certain level, as if
> the disciplines freed your mind and made it work properly.
>
> I also think that, apart from any religious association, that these were the
> issues Salinger was just struggling with in his fiction -- the "good" or
> "exceptional" person in a banal, dull world.
>
> Jim
> -
Possibly one of the things Seymour found difficult about the world is
that he had some enlightenment that others didn't, but he was extremely
intelligent. Thus, expecting others to have the same enlightenment is
unfair. It seems unSeymourishly egoistic to feel that you have
something which makes you "better" than other people, but what if he
did feel that and didn't want to. This would fit with the feelings of
Franny and Zooey that they're "the tattoed lady", can't quite accept
other people for what they are, and hate their own egoism. Seymour
sought to bring his genius and enlightenment to everyone - like wanting
his poems to be more Unlotusy, the kind of thing his old librarian
could happily read.
Off the point: I have finished both the major essays I have been
labouring over for a month! I'm off for the weekend :) to London.
Thanks everyone who gave me tips on the Coleridge, I really warmed to
him while I was doing the work. Such experiences makenit all worthwhile
:-)
Love, Lucy-Ruth
----------------------
LR Pearson, Arts 99
lp9616@bristol.ac.uk
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