A Perfect Day for a Bananafish
A Perfect Day for Bananafish; Stuck in the Bananahole
J.D. Salinger’s short story, A Perfect Day for Bananafish, reveals the story of Seymour
Glass, a veteran solider from WWII, who, upon returning home to America and his family, feels isolated and is unable to communicate and connect with his adult peers. After having trudged through his war experience, Seymour was subsequently forced to step back and see the shallow materialism in his surrounding world. This constrictive world traps him and slowly suffocates Seymour to a point where he can find no other alternative aside from suicide. By slowly becoming acquainted with Seymour through drastically polar points of view, Seymour’s suicidal motives become evident by his introversion and his inability to communicate with others which ultimately leads to his death.
The reader first learns of Seymour from his wife and mother-in-law who skirt around seriously discussing Seymour and his dilemmas which initially establishes him as a treacherous mystery. While talking to her mother about her husband Muriel exclaims, “You talk about him as though he were a raving manic” (Salinger 11) which implies that the assumptions of Seymour are improper and that he is not as insane as he seems now. By initially calling Seymour a maniac the impression of Seymour is tainted with the vile of Muriel’s mother, who carries an opinion similar to many other outsiders who see and judge Seymour. All of this outside criticism makes Seymour resistant to opening up to his peers despite the fact they would not talk to him regardless if he reached out. Muriel’s mother pressures her to get Seymour psychological help behind his back but when asked about what the psychiatrist thought Muriel informs her mother that she did not adamantly seek help for her husband (Salinger 10). Her lack of dedication to her husband’s well-being contributes to Seymour’s feeling of alienation because this simple act of kindness is shut down by her own selfishness. Muriel
J.D. Salinger’s short story, A Perfect Day for Bananafish, reveals the story of Seymour
Glass, a veteran solider from WWII, who, upon returning home to America and his family, feels isolated and is unable to communicate and connect with his adult peers. After having trudged through his war experience, Seymour was subsequently forced to step back and see the shallow materialism in his surrounding world. This constrictive world traps him and slowly suffocates Seymour to a point where he can find no other alternative aside from suicide. By slowly becoming acquainted with Seymour through drastically polar points of view, Seymour’s suicidal motives become evident by his introversion and his inability to communicate with others which ultimately leads to his death.
The reader first learns of Seymour from his wife and mother-in-law who skirt around seriously discussing Seymour and his dilemmas which initially establishes him as a treacherous mystery. While talking to her mother about her husband Muriel exclaims, “You talk about him as though he were a raving manic” (Salinger 11) which implies that the assumptions of Seymour are improper and that he is not as insane as he seems now. By initially calling Seymour a maniac the impression of Seymour is tainted with the vile of Muriel’s mother, who carries an opinion similar to many other outsiders who see and judge Seymour. All of this outside criticism makes Seymour resistant to opening up to his peers despite the fact they would not talk to him regardless if he reached out. Muriel’s mother pressures her to get Seymour psychological help behind his back but when asked about what the psychiatrist thought Muriel informs her mother that she did not adamantly seek help for her husband (Salinger 10). Her lack of dedication to her husband’s well-being contributes to Seymour’s feeling of alienation because this simple act of kindness is shut down by her own selfishness. Muriel