A Perfect Day For Bananafish
J.D. Salinger’s “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” was written and published in the year 1948. Salinger is most eminent for his novel The Catcher in the Rye and tends to be known for writing about the lack of innocence in adult society. Its inferred by many, that Salinger’s war experience has had a great impact on most of his literature. “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” tells the story of a disturbed war veteran connecting with innocence as he tries to escape from the materialism and corruption in the world. Salinger wasn’t arbitrary when it came down to the names, items and other features mentioned in the short story. His multiple uses of symbolism is a way for him to further develop the meaning behind “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”. Characterization
…show more content…
Salinger opens with Muriel Glass sitting in her Florida hotel room waiting for the telephone operator to come through. As she waits and waits, Muriel is finally connected through to her panicking and frantic mother. Muriel tries to reassure her mother that she is okay but her mother feels as if Muriel is not safe with her husband Seymour. Her mother brings up several incidents of Seymour’s irregular behavior after returning home from the war. Muriel seems to show no concern about her husband’s mental health or her own safety whatsoever. While Muriel is on the phone with her mother, Seymour is on the beach by himself. A little girl, Sybil Carpenter, is also on the beach and finds Seymour there. Seymour compliments her blue bathing suit but she corrects him because the bathing suit is actually yellow. They discuss Sybil’s jealously of Seymour’s friendship with another little girl Sharon Lipschutz. Seymour suggests to Sybil that they try to catch some Bananafish. He describes a Bananafish as a fish that lives a tragic life. Bananafish swim into holes with bananas in it and then act like pigs and eat all the bananas. Once they eat the bananas they are too fat and cannot swim out of the banana hole, developing “banana fever” and die. Sybil leaves the beach and Seymour returns to his hotel room. He calmly sits on the bed and shoots himself in the
Salinger opens with Muriel Glass sitting in her Florida hotel room waiting for the telephone operator to come through. As she waits and waits, Muriel is finally connected through to her panicking and frantic mother. Muriel tries to reassure her mother that she is okay but her mother feels as if Muriel is not safe with her husband Seymour. Her mother brings up several incidents of Seymour’s irregular behavior after returning home from the war. Muriel seems to show no concern about her husband’s mental health or her own safety whatsoever. While Muriel is on the phone with her mother, Seymour is on the beach by himself. A little girl, Sybil Carpenter, is also on the beach and finds Seymour there. Seymour compliments her blue bathing suit but she corrects him because the bathing suit is actually yellow. They discuss Sybil’s jealously of Seymour’s friendship with another little girl Sharon Lipschutz. Seymour suggests to Sybil that they try to catch some Bananafish. He describes a Bananafish as a fish that lives a tragic life. Bananafish swim into holes with bananas in it and then act like pigs and eat all the bananas. Once they eat the bananas they are too fat and cannot swim out of the banana hole, developing “banana fever” and die. Sybil leaves the beach and Seymour returns to his hotel room. He calmly sits on the bed and shoots himself in the