Bannanafish
A Perfect Day For A Bananafish:
In “A Perfect Day for a Bananafish” by J.D. Salinger, the main character, Seymour, presents himself as a small, insecure child. Seymour’s participation in World War II permanently altered his ability to interact with civilized society. His peers, such as Muriel and his mother in law, contemplate that he is crazy, or mentally ill. As a result, he has no sense of how to live or relate to these people surrounding him. Seymour only finds relaxation through the connection with innocent children similar to Sybil. The pent up emotions of continuously feeling judged by his peers, causes Seymour to take his own life, thinking this is the only way to relieve his stress. The tragic experiences Seymour endures during World War II have left him feeling isolated and incapable of relating to those around him. It is clear that one can only survive through communicating and obtaining moral support from their family and friends, a central theme of J.D. Salinger's Nine Stories. As the story begins, Muriel is displayed a narcissistic person, who does not even try to understand the trauma her husband is going through. All she desires is for her life to be flawless. Muriel only takes care of herself and she doesn’t listen to anyone. Muriel’s actions are a prime reason of why Seymour has trouble sharing with Muriel his true feelings. Muriel and her mother are constantly judging Seymour, saying that he is mentally ill, or crazy. Muriel’s mother states, “Muriel. My word of honor. Dr. Sivetski said Seymour might completely loose control” (7). The tension between Muriel, Muriel’s mother, and Seymour cause Seymour to coexist under a great amount of stress. The lack of communication between Seymour and his wife is not healthy for their relationship. Muriel is too self absorbed and materialistic to care about Seymour’s suffering. Another example of where there is an absence of communication is when Muriel doesn’t listen to her mother. “Muriel, I’m only
In “A Perfect Day for a Bananafish” by J.D. Salinger, the main character, Seymour, presents himself as a small, insecure child. Seymour’s participation in World War II permanently altered his ability to interact with civilized society. His peers, such as Muriel and his mother in law, contemplate that he is crazy, or mentally ill. As a result, he has no sense of how to live or relate to these people surrounding him. Seymour only finds relaxation through the connection with innocent children similar to Sybil. The pent up emotions of continuously feeling judged by his peers, causes Seymour to take his own life, thinking this is the only way to relieve his stress. The tragic experiences Seymour endures during World War II have left him feeling isolated and incapable of relating to those around him. It is clear that one can only survive through communicating and obtaining moral support from their family and friends, a central theme of J.D. Salinger's Nine Stories. As the story begins, Muriel is displayed a narcissistic person, who does not even try to understand the trauma her husband is going through. All she desires is for her life to be flawless. Muriel only takes care of herself and she doesn’t listen to anyone. Muriel’s actions are a prime reason of why Seymour has trouble sharing with Muriel his true feelings. Muriel and her mother are constantly judging Seymour, saying that he is mentally ill, or crazy. Muriel’s mother states, “Muriel. My word of honor. Dr. Sivetski said Seymour might completely loose control” (7). The tension between Muriel, Muriel’s mother, and Seymour cause Seymour to coexist under a great amount of stress. The lack of communication between Seymour and his wife is not healthy for their relationship. Muriel is too self absorbed and materialistic to care about Seymour’s suffering. Another example of where there is an absence of communication is when Muriel doesn’t listen to her mother. “Muriel, I’m only