Reaffirmation Of The Human Spirit In 'For Esmé'

British moral philosopher, Bernard Williams once said, “Man never made a material as resilient as the human spirit” (Williams). Here Williams tells of the insurmountable human spirit. Through all hardships the will to live prevails, rising above the forces of evil. In the anthology Nine Stories each character has to overcome and cope with evil. From absentee parents, to coping with the effects of war, many of the characters are able to rise above their struggle and continue living with hope. The reaffirmation of the human spirit is highlighted as characters are inspired to move on and regain a sense of normalcy in their lives. Eloise, Ramona, Sergeant X, and Jean DeDaumier, all face evil through war, isolation, death and disappointment; however,
they each manage to overcome and cope with the their tragic circumstances, through the strength and resilience of the human spirit reaffirmed through writing, art, and imagination.
In “For Esmé”, Sergeant X manages to overcome the trauma of war, through the rekindling of his spirit through reading Die Zeit Ohne Beispel.
After Sergeant X leaves England he suffers from the atrocities of the war. He cannot seem to cope with the damage and deaths his unit caused. He suffers mental duress from this, even ending up at an army hospital. Sergeant X’s poor mental state manifests into him losing weight. When Clay sees him at the hospital in Frankfurt he says, “I goddam near fainted when I saw you at the hospital. You looked like a goddam corpse.” (Salinger 163). After all the eviland mallace Sergeant X witnessed during combat he almost lost the spirit to live. The evil was almost able to overcome him and take away his life. However, through the rekindling of his human spirit through writing, Sergeant X manages to “[stand] a chance of again becoming a man…with all his f-a-c-u-l-t-i-e-s in tact” (Salinger 173). Here “faculties” refers to his mental state or health. While at the hospital Sergeant X often goes back and reads “Die Zeit Ohne Beispel”. This is the book he took from the female Nazi officer he arrested. Sergeant X uses this book as a source of comfort, and way of justifying his service in the war. It reminds him of the Nazi atrocities. Although he contributed to the violence of the war he realizes he managed to prevent more in the future. Sergeant X’s infatuation with the book can be shown through the fact that, “For the third time since he returned from
the hospital…he opened the woman’s book and read the brief inscription on the flyleaf.” (Salinger 159). The inscription reads: “Dear God, Life is hell (Salinger 159). Sergeant X can relate to the sentiments of the Nazi officer. While everyone around him is insensitive to his struggles, like his brother who requests “he [sends] the kids a couple of bayonets or swastikas” (Salinger) in his spare time, he can relate to her. For once, Sergeant X does not feel isolated; he has someone who feels the stress and corruption of the war. After reading the inscription he, “Then with far more zeal than he had done anything in weeks… picked up a pencil stub and wrote down under the inscription in English.” (Salinger 160). After spending days in the hospital, lying still, practically a corpse, Sergeant X regains some “zeal” or enthusiasm. Through the sympathy of a woman on enemy lines Sergeant X’s human spirit is rekindled. Her writing allows him to start overcoming the evil and violence from the war.
In addition to reading Die Zeit Ohne Beispel, Sergeant X’s spirit is also reaffirmed when de decides to write a letter to a friend in New York. While in the hospital, Sergeant X talks to his friend Clay about his girlfriend Loretta. After Clay leaves Sergeant X decides to pick up his typewriter and write a letter to his friend. Just before this, Sergeant X was closed off to everyone and in a state of depression. In order to place his typewriter on the table he had to “[push] aside the collapsed pile of unopened letters and packages” (Salinger 169). He then thinks to himself “if [I] wrote a letter to an old friend of [mine] in New York there might be some quick…therapy in it for [me]” (Salinger 169). Sergeant X believes he could get his feelings out through writing and express his struggles to someone who will sympathize with him. Sergeant X gets a slight sense of satisfaction from this. Although Sergeant X ends up not being able to insert the paper into the typewriter, the simple prospect of sending the letter is therapeutic to him. Through writing his spirit his rekindled.
Similarly, after reading the letter from Esmé, Sergeant X gains spirit through realizing he can become a man unaffected by the war again. Before Sergeant X, deploys to Bavaria he meets Esmé, a young girl in a British choir. The two connect at a local diner and promise to correspond with each other. Sergeant X deploys to fight the Nazi’s and Esmé fails to write to him for 38 days. After finally getting her letter and realizing that Esmé and Charles understand his struggle his spirit is renewed. A line in the letter that particularly resonates with him is: “Charles and I are both quite concerned about you.” (Salinger 171). For once, war outsiders are concerned for him and understanding of everything he had to go through. Unlike his brother they take the war and Sergeant X’s wellbeing seriously. After reading the letter as well as receiving her father’s wristwatch. Sergeant X says, “You take a really sleepy man, Esmé, and he always stands a chance of again becoming a man with all his…f-a-c-u-l-t-i-e-s in tact.” (Salinger 173). From this letter Sergeant X says he is no longer sleepy. Here sleepy is a metaphor for Sergeant X’s depression and indifference to life. After reading the letter his spirit is rekindled and he feels able to overcome the corruption he faced in the war.
In “Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut”, Eloise manage to overcome the loss of Walt and her cynicism towards her new husband through her imagination. While having Mary Jean over for a drink Eloise mentions her late boyfriend Walt. She is still infatuated with him describing him as “the only boy who could make [her] laugh” (Salinger 41). By the use of the word, only, Eloise reveals that Walt is her ultimate. His ability to make her laugh is shown as unparalleled. After the death of Walt, Eloise is devastated and saddened at the prospect of Walt never in her life again. She does not reveal much about Walt to her current husband, Lew, who she views as “too damn unintelligent” (Salinger 45). Eloise’s cynical nature toward Lew is shown here. Eloise reveals to Mary Jean that she has not told Lew much about her history with Walt, who only knows that “[she] went around with somebody named Walt—some wisecracking G.I. (Salinger 45). Eloise is afraid to reveal much more about Walt especially the details of his death. During the war, Walt died when, “He and some other boy were putting this little Japanese stove in a package…and it exploded” (Salinger 48). Eloise is extremely distraught about his death. She views it as unbearable and an embarrassment. While the love of her life was serving his country he died dishonorably. In order to move past this she tells Mary Jean that when she will tell Lew about Walt, “The last thing [she’d] do would be to tell him he was killed…If [she] did, [she’d] tell him he was killed in action” (Salinger 48). The only way Eloise can acknowledge and reveal her past to her husband is to use her imagination and concoct an honorable death for Walt. Through her lies, her spirit lives and Walt would be seen as an honorable soldier.
Likewise, In “Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut” Ramona manages to overcome her loneliness and the cynicism of her mother through her imagination. In the beginning of the story Salinger introduces Jimmy, Ramona’s imaginary friend. Like Eloise, Ramona uses Jimmy Jimmereeno as a way to cope with the evil in her life. Ramona uses Jimmy to fill the place of her cynical mother. When Jimmy, someone who Ramona describes as her “beau” (Salinger), is introduced to Mary Jean, Eloise describes Jimmy as “just a make believe little boy” (Salinger). Ramona is offened by this, her mother clearly offending someone she values. Eloise cynicism is shown here as she condemns Jimmy, she allows for herself to still love the late Walt. Parallels are also drawn between Jimmy’s relationship with his parents and Ramona’s with hers. When Ramona continues to describe Jimmy, she said he has “no mommy and daddy” (Salinger). Like Ramona, Jimmy feels like she is alone with out a mother and a father. Jimmy Jimmereeno provides a sense of hope and companionship for Ramona. Although, her mother may be cruel to her she knows that Jimmy will always love her. Ramona also used Jimmy, her imaginary friend to overcome the loneliness that comes from having no children in her neighborhood. When Mary Jean asks where the inspiration for Jimmy came from, Eloise responds “Probably from some kid in the neighborhood” (Salinger). To this Ramona responds, “There are no little boys in the neighborhood. No children at all. They call me fertile fanny behind my—“ (Salinger). Ramona is upset that she has no young children to play with. Ramona cannot escape from the adult world to imagine and play with children her own age. She is instead stuck with her mother and Lew. She feels like an outsider in a neighborhood of all adults even being called “fertile fanny”. By creating Jimmy Jimeerono she has hope, and a place to escape to, full of love and imagination.
In “DeDamuier’s Blue Period”, Jean manages to overcome the death of his mother and regain his resilience through art. After the death of Jean’s mother he struggles with her absence. Jean states “After my mother died, [it] threw me and threw me terribly” (Salinger 199). Jean was emotionally devastated by the death of his mother. Through the use of the phrase “threw me”, the physical action manages to show the severity of how he felt emotionally. The two had a very close relationship and her death impacted him severely. After the death of his mother, Jean turns to his art to help take his mind off of the loss of his mother. Also the fact that he is now stuck living with his stepfather Bobby. After the death of his mother Jean and Bobby return to New York. Jean said he spent his “nights…almost invariably...[painting]” (Salinger 202). Prior, to the death of his mother Jean was an acclaimed artist. After the death of his mother and move from Paris, Jean tries to grasp onto something stable and constant in his life. His art reminds him of his old life. In the span of that month, “[he] completed eighteen oil paintings” (Salinger 202). Interestingly enough, “seventeen of them were self-portraits” (Salinger 202). Through painting Jean manages to come to terms with the death of his mother. He says “As the weeks went by, [Bobby and I] gradually discovered that we were both in love with the same deceased woman” (Salinger 203). Instead of blocking out his mother or vehemently grieving over her death he manages to gain the spirit to move on and live. He realizes that Bobby and him love the same woman and always will even though she is dead. Through his artwork and painting himself he is reminded of his past life as well as what the future holds for him. His spirit is rekindled through this. In fact after the mutual realization the two began to think less of the macabre, instead exchanging “vivacious smiles when [they] bumped into each other” (Salinger 203). Through his art, Jean gained the spirit to keep on going and not dwell on the death of his mother.
After seeing the incompetence of his two students and almost giving up on teaching, Jean’s spirit is rekindled after seeing the work of Sister Irma.
After seeing the work of the Nun, Jean becomes excited that her work is all his own to critique. Just before this, he describes his students as “very retarded and chiefly stupid” (Salinger 234). He is discouraged to teach and feels his efforts may be futile. Regarding Irma’s art he says it is “steeped in high, high, organized talent” (Salinger 229). Jean is amazed by her drawings and the level of craftsmanship they entail. After seeing the nun’s portfolio Jean “Then, with far more tolerance than [he’d] though [he] had in [himself]… spent the rest of the afternoon doing overlay corrections of some… nudes that R. Howard Ridgefield had… obscenely drawn” (Salinger 230). Although he previously would have been discouraged by these paintings he manages to correct them with patience. After staring at the “Mother Superior’s Letter” (Salinger 243), and realizing that the nun had to resign from the school, Jean loses all hope in the other students. Following this he “wrote letters to [his] four remaining students, advising them to give up the idea of becoming artists” (Salinger 243). After losing the artwork of the nun, he loses the spirit to help his other students. Without the sister he would have let the other students go a long time ago, but the sister’s art allowed him to teach talentless students. The sister’s art reassured him and
rekindled his spirit, giving him optimism. After coming to terms with the sister’s departure and “giving Sister Irma her freedom to follow her own destiny” (Salinger 251), Jeans writes letters to the four expelled students “reinstating them” (Salinger 251). Jean comes to terms with the Sister’s choice and allows her to move on. Jean regains the spirit to help his other students again. He realizes that in the future there could be another student with the talent of the nun. The mere thoughts of her works allow Jean to maintain his optimism.