Perfect Day For Bananafish, By J. D. Salinger

Death is also a key theme in the novel Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger. In Perfect Day for Bananafish, as a result of war, Seymour suffers from the implied PTSD and is considered mentally unstable by his wife’s mother. Traumatized by the war, Seymour chooses to isolate himself from the real world with adults, to interact instead with young and innocent child like Sybil whose naiveté allows her to see the “bananafish” invented by Seymour. Only by living within the confines of his safe parameter is Seymour able to find happiness, casting off the societal pressures and reveling in his essential humanity. Seymour represents a nonconformist to society, the state of which, however, like his last name “Glass”, remains fragile. In fact, his nonconformist barrier eventually shatters as he aims the pistol upon himself. The complete withdrawal
In examining these stories, a common thread is revealed – man striving against societal pressure, man crumbling in the face of said pressure. Within these pessimistic accounts, society ultimately prevails or remains untouchable against the efforts of these individuals. The social decay, self destruction, alienation and death are all results of the ever present darkness of the society that eventually drives the society into ashes of corruption.
Death is not the only product that societal pressure is capable of producing. The struggle between “conformity” and “individualism” is a constant struggle driven by what society dictates as “normal”. As a result, we are left with wanderers who experience internal conflict regarding their identity. The effect of war could be seen on characters in several literary works, one of which is Sergeant X in For Esmé – with Love and Squalor by J.D.