Re: Hapworthless
citycabn (citycabn@gateway.net)
Tue, 05 Oct 1999 10:39:21 -0700
will,
Very fine post.
I recall vaguely you wrote an essay on Hapworth for some mag. Yes? Which,
when.
"Small Glass details" are indeed wondrous.
--Bruce
-----Original Message-----
From: William Hochman <wh14@is9.nyu.edu>
To: bananafish@lists.nyu.edu <bananafish@lists.nyu.edu>
Date: Monday, October 04, 1999 7:00 PM
Subject: Re: Hapworthless
>Yes, Seymour ends his letter believing in Buddy's "leontine devotion to
>his literary implements" will release him from "this enchanting vale of
>tears, laughter, redeeming human love, affection, and courtesy."
>
>Yes, there's more than a nod to the fictive twisting of fiction's illusive
>reality in Salinger creating this text and the Glass family in the first
>place.
>
>I think there's a bit of a parallel to Buddy's and Seymour's withdrawal
>from Camp life and Salinger's but I don't think that's as interesting as
>the way "Hapworth" explains more about the Glass family. (I do understand
>however that some may not enjoy learning small Glass details) (Shards!) I
>think for those intersted in cracking the text, Blake can be a handy
>nutcracker! The poet is
>quoted in the story ("Damn braces, bless relaxes!") and then Salinger has
>7 year-old Seymour write "This is quite right, but it is not very easy on
>splendid families and nice people who get a little nervous or worn to a
>frazzle when their loving, eldest son and brother is damning braces all
>over the world." Using Blake to help frame the religious "wisdom" of a
>child and his process of bypassing churches (braces?) to reach god may
>make the text a bit more enjoyable.
>
>"Would to God a simple letter were less fraught with the burdens of superb
>written construction" comes from the text and my heart as well, will
>
>On Mon, 4 Oct 1999, Matt Kozusko wrote:
>>
>> Why should we assume that the fab boy Cornish is proposing a realistic
>> situation in "Hapworth"?
>
>