Essay Questions

What do the stories say about Salinger's view of war?

Salinger's stories seem to specifically relate to World War Two, and his view of it may well have been formed by encounters with veterans of that conflict. He focuses on the way in which war affects its soldiers mentally. The characters in the stories who have fought are suffering from mental illness which today would be recognized as post traumatic stress disorder, but at that time was seen as "shellshock" or as something that the sufferer needed to snap themselves out of.

Salinger also seems to reflect his own views in the character of the Narrator in "To Esme, with Love and Squalor," in that before, and to some extent during, the war, he is a supporter, gung-ho about going to fight and believing wholeheartedly in the mission. Afterwards, he is forever changed by what he has seen; he is struggling emotionally, and he is cynical. This mental struggle and this cynicism both seem to be common elements between Salinger and his characters.

What does Seymour see in the bananafish that he also sees in himself? Does this revelation lead to his suicide?

Seymour tells the story of the fictional fish to Sybil; they gorge themselves on bananas all day, but they also get very fat because of this, and when it comes time to leave their feeding holes, they can't because they have grown to fat to get through the entryway. They instead stay stuck in the feeding hole and die.

Seymour recognizes in the fish the feeling of being trapped, and the feeling of having one's fill of something that at first seemed like a good idea, but turned out to be anything but. Seymour was a willing combatant in World War One but after seeing carnage on a daily basis feels overwhelmed by his experiences and the things he has seen. He feels trapped and cannot see a way out of his "jail", which leads him to shoot himself.