Subject: RE: But if the Franny in "Franny" is not Franny Glass...
From: Baader, Cecilia (cbaader@casecorp.com)
Date: Tue Jan 25 2000 - 13:42:51 EST
> On Tuesday, January 25, 2000 10:25 AM Sundeep Dougal
[holden@giasdl01.vsnl.net.in] wrote:
>
> I jest, of course, in my earlier messages. I have always found this thesis
> of Updike (was it?) quite persuasive.
>
> Sonny
I've seen it elsewhere as well, but yes, Updike mentions it in his book
review of F&Z.
Perhaps the most interesting explanation that I've read is put forth by
Eberhard Alsen in his book _Salinger's Glass Stories as a Composite Novel_.
Alsen mentions the difficulty of reconciling the Franny in "Franny" with the
one in "Zooey" for precisely the same reasons that have been mentioned a
thousand times before.
However, he then proposes that what is important is not the changing nature
of the character of Franny, but the changing nature in how she reacts to the
same ideas in each story. Remember that both stories are purportedly
written by Buddy Glass-- and Franny's changing reaction indicates Buddy's
continual advancement towards total God-Knowing.
The earlier Franny is much like the Seymour in Bananafish: angry and
unwilling to come to terms with the simpletons that seem to surround them.
However, the later Franny and later characterizations of Seymour show
Buddy's movement towards an acceptance of the world, a release of the anger
caused by the death of his brother. Buddy then becomes the God-Knower, the
ring-ding enlightened man, the blue-striped unicorn who has been able to
achieve some level of satori through living a path completely different from
the one that failed Seymour. ("Let your stars come out...")
It's a fascinating book, covering the Glass Stories in a manner that I
hadn't seen before. Buddy becomes the main actor in all of the stories, and
his the actions of his characters merely symbols for his own advancement.
Magnificent.
Regards,
Cecilia.
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