A Perfect Day For Bananafish Essay

J.D. Salinger’s “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” follows Seymour Glass, a young soldier who recently returned home, and his inability to adjust to “normal” adult life after World War II. In the piece, the author highlights Seymour’s rejection of adult society and preference for the innocence and creativity of young children though he cannot integrate with them well. Despite his rejection and preference, Seymour cannot find a place within society in which he still fits decides to remove himself from it.

This breakdown became recognized as post-traumatic stress disorder. He eventually became hospitalized in 1945 because of this. In the war, he experienced many important and traumatizing events such as D-day and Luxembourg. Likewise, in Catcher in the Rye Holden ended up being hospitalized for mental health reasons. While Salinger served in the war, Salinger continued working on the story of Holden Caulfield.

Jerome David Salinger is an odd character with a colorful background. He was a young man unable to complete college and obtain a degree, yet he was made very popular due to his writing abilities. “Despite his slim body of work and reclusive lifestyle, ‘Salinger’ was one of the more influential twentieth century American writers.” states Biography.com, “His landmark novel, Catcher in the Rye, set a new course for literature in post World War II America.”

I was never a huge fan of children. I was never the girl to babysit all of the kids on my block. I was never the girl to spark up a conversation with a little girl or boy. I am the younger sibling and I have no younger cousins; I was the baby of the family, so I never really had to deal with children growing up. I never know what to say when I am talking to children because they do not understand the world the same way I do. Up until now, I never thought of that as a good thing. Seymour, a character from A Perfect Day for a Bananafish, is in a similar situation after returning from war with a severe case of PTSD. He talks to the children because they do not understand all of the tragedies of the world. Seymour has an easier time communicating

Over the course of life, many people have experienced a traumatic event or tragedy in their life. However, many of those people develop coping mechanisms to deal with its effects on their everyday life as well as their overall mentality. Whether it be courageous or cowardly, they will use whatever they can to help deal with the pain that has come upon them. J.D Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye, and Holden Caulfield, an unstable teenager constantly being kicked out of school after school, have both suffered through traumatic events in their lives which had affected them later along the road. World War II took hold of Salinger, made him a soldier and even greatly affected his sanity. Holden suffered during a crucial growth period in

In A Perfect Day for Bananafish a man with PTSD named Seymour had to feel the harsh rejection of society. Seymour was a war veteran who can back to America and was a little unstable because of it. He had many quirks that made him odd like he was scared of trees and yelled at someone for just looking at his feet. “He told him everything. At least, he said he did--you know your father. The trees. That business with the window. Those horrible things he said to Granny about her plans for passing away. What he did with all those lovely pictures

When one finds themselves in a reader’s position, they search for things in the novel that they can relate to. J. D. Salinger wrote a story that contained countless topics that people, past, present and future, can relate to in several ways. The novel follows the story of a troubled boy named Holden who leaves school due to his poor academic performance, an altercation with his roommate, and complications with his emotions due to the traumatic loss of his brother. He quickly understands how his narrow view of the world will lead him into trouble when he finds himself alone. The reader accompanies Holden through his stressful experiences

Salinger’s upbringing and military experience provided the inspiration for his writing career. Salinger was born in New York, but later moved to and grew up in the fashionable areas of Urban Manhattan (Peacock, 130). ”JD Salinger” says “Salinger graduated from Valleyforge in 1936, but his high school experience there would haunt him, becoming the foundation

The story A Perfect Day for Bananafish by J.D. Salinger is about a couple who are on vacation at a hotel on the beach in Florida. The couple is never seen together in the story, but the idea is that they were just married and are on their honeymoon at the beach. Yet it is hard to tell much about their relationship due to the fact that they are not seen together. The first part of the story follows Muriel as she talks on the phone with her mother about how her trip and her husband. While the second part of the story follows Seymour while he is at the beach hanging out with a child named Sybil. Some of the main ideas expressed throughout the story were about miscommunication, PTSD, and materialism. Salinger uses dialogue and interaction between characters to create symbols and conflict that would portray these ideas. Miscommunication was shown in the conflict between Muriel and her mother when they were speaking over the phone about Muriel’s safety. The PTSD is shown in the story through Seymour’s conflict with himself. This essay will

J.D. Salinger (Jerome Davis Salinger) was said by some people to be one of the best American Authors of past century. Salinger’s works reflects the many experiences he had as a child. One of the more common focuses tends to be his fascination with protecting the innocence in children.

“In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” – Jose Narosky. Adjusting to society after coming home from serving in the war is not as easy as one may think. Soldiers are often haunted by the horrible memories of war, which can have a great psychological impact on them. This is very relevant in the short stories “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”, by J.D. Salinger and “Home”, by George Saunders. The protagonists, Seymour and Mikey, have returned from serving in the war and are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. They are struggling with being able to adjust back into society, and they both lash out due to the constant stress and pressures of the civilian world. Both short stories “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” and “Home” demonstrate the criticism against the materialistic world, the barriers to effective communication and the elusive search for childhood and home.

At first glance, J.D. Salinger's short story 'A Perfect Day for Bananafish' is the story of a psychically-torn war veteran whose post-traumatic stress moves him to take his own life while on a second honeymoon with his wife. Indeed, that is the story, but that first glance does not reveal the inner motives and symbolic pathways Seymour Glass takes to reach the final decision to end his life. The carefully placed details and minute innuendoes are deliberate on Salinger's part, and they represent pieces of the puzzle to find out what is really happening in the protagonist's head. Indeed, 'A Perfect Day' is just one part of the Glass family saga, and Seymour's character and family

"A Perfect Day for Bananafish" written by J.D Salinger was published on January 31, 1948 following the end of World War Two. Through the use of symbolism and characterization Salinger enhances the theme of The difficulty of true communication. The protagonist Seymour Glass has recently come back from fighting in the war. He was sent home due to a mental sickness in what we would call PTSD.

In “A Perfect Day for Bananafish,” J. D. Salinger weaves an innocent enough story that goes wildly astray at the end. Throughout the bulk of the work, Salinger details disinterested and awkward conversations between various parties interspersed with an air of caution. The story culminates with a surprising act of suicide by Seymour Glass, the character throughout which most of the story centers. This abrupt ending is written in such a manner that the reader must immediately reflect upon the rest of the story in order to understand the reasons behind this action. As a whole, Salinger’s short story involves a recounting of important themes from American society in the post-World War II era.

Salinger, J(erome) D(avid) (1919- ), American novelist and short story writer, known for his stories dealing with the intellectual and emotional struggles of adolescents who are alienated from the empty, materialistic world of their parents. Salinger's work is marked by a profound sense of craftsmanship, a keen ear for dialogue, and a deep awareness of the frustrations of life in America after World War II (1939-1945).