poetic allusion in salinger

Jaramillojp@kktv.com
Tue, 08 Jul 1997 23:53:52 -0700 

      I just found my copy of the Inverted Forest and want to join in
the note making. This has always been a favorite story next to Catcher
and Elaine and I am curious about this whole Eliot and Salinger
connection.
      First I want to say that I have wondered about Salinger being an
intellectual or just plain skilled at writing a good one. In Zooey he
gives a list of what the kids were exposed to from Seymour and he
couldn't have picked these names at random. Being a philosophy minor I
wonder in his quotes that range from the ideas of causality and tons of
religions (from Taoism to Hinduism). This seems to be a familiar paradox
in everything Sal writes. Like the whole movie thing. I mean Holden
hates them but knows them all and goes all the time. Sal seems to mock
intellectuals or false ones in the ideas of the section man yet is so
well read in religion and literature he might come off as throwing names
around. Or at least I do not see a reason or flow to these quotes other
than these kids were given big profound minds and ideas at early ages as
most kids are given comic books. I don't know what he is getting at
other than philosophical confusion which may be what he was trying to
show. I guess what I am trying to say is I wonder if Salinger was
intellectually and deeply curious at these things or just used them as a
tight way of showing the kids confusion and there belief in it.
      Now about this Eliot thing I want specifics from you guys. What
exactly do you think is Salinger trying to say. Maybe things aren't as
bleak as Eliot says. Or maybe just the idea of weaving a philosophical
idea and maybe a social commentary in characters like Corrine and
Raymond Ford. These character could be a way of Salinger weaving or
crafting ideas from Eliot into his story. I mean I don't think anybody
starts out wanting to writ e aloner story or a love story or anything
but they craft it in after the millionth draft.
      I guess this is pretty disorganized thinking but I guess what I am
trying to ask ya guys is how can Sal write about reading and running and
yet leave questions and ideas that contradict that.

Thanks for listening!

Suerte
John Paul