can we bring up seymour again please just for a minute?
Emily Moore (evmoore@hotmail.com)
Fri, 25 Jul 1997 14:16:09 -0700 (PDT)
Having missed a week-and-a-half of discussion I find myself dying to add
my bit. I'll try to keep it short. In the best of spirits wish also to
avoid pissing off copyright purists but there's a bit in SAI that i
really think everyone pondering APDFB should remember:
"But what I can and should state is that I've written and published two
short stories that were supposed to be directly about Seymour. [Buddy
speaking of course.] ....in the earlier, much shorter story I did...he
not only appeared in the flesh but walked, talked, went for a dip in the
ocean, and fired a bullet through his brain in the last paragraph.
However, several members of my immediate, if somewhat farflung,
family...have gently pointed out to me...that the young man, the
'Seymour,'...was not Seymour at all..."
I have always seen Bananafish as Buddy's somewhat-less-than-well-
informed version of that day. How he felt it should have happened to
preserve poetic justice; how he would have done it. And it's no secret
that he disliked Muriel; I can picture him thinking just for a minute
that Seymour shooting himself in a manner that would shock her (but not
for that reason) is excusable. But what actually happened...that's up
for speculation. Just my theory.
PS Have always assumed Zooey = Joey-with-a-Z...
PPS Am not an English student (in re A Little Poll) but have never felt
intimidated by intellectualism from those who are here. It's a good
environment.
with my usual overuse of ellipses,
Emily
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