the omnipotent harms of greed and consumerism; yet her mother slathering her with sun-tan oil corrupts her innocent nature. As Sybil stands with her mother she repeats, “See more glass” (12). Seymour’s name alludes to the notion of him seeing more than others and breaking through the vapidity that pervades society. shows that he is unique in realizing those around him are living in a meaningless nature. His last name, Glass, represents Seymour’s ability to clearly see the fakeness and pettiness exuding from society. Sybil reconciles with Seymour on the beach, and she asks him where the lady (Muriel) is, and he replies, “At the hairdresser’s. Having her hair dyed mink” (7). By dyeing her hair, Salinger shows the lack of satisfaction Muriel…show more content…
Salinger’s unique diction makes the reader understand the severity of to the negativity disseminated by omnipresent materialism in society. Salinger’s use of the Bananafish is symbolic of the greedy nature inevitably found in humans. The bananafish is Seymour’s invented sea creature that is the epitome of selfishness and gluttony; it eats an abundance of bananas and eventually dies of banana fever. The bananafish is significant in conveying how people are consumed with superficial and shallow desires and how their greed will lead to their demise. Seymour tells Sybil the story of the bananafish stating that once they get in the hole where there is many bananas, “they behave like pigs… and eat as many as seventy-eight bananas” (14). The bananafish draws parallels to the gluttony of people like Muriel, whose life revolves around consumerism. By saying they behave like pigs, Salinger conveys how individuals lose rationality and are overcome with a desire for more and more objective things. Seymour tells Sybil that the bananafish, “eat so many bananas they can’t get out of the banana hole” (10). This shows that once individuals are introduced to the greed and pettiness prevalent in society, it’s impossible to avoid. Seymour characterizing the bananafish in such ways represents his struggle to deal with the society he was once assimilated in, after fighting in war. As
Salinger’s unique diction makes the reader understand the severity of to the negativity disseminated by omnipresent materialism in society. Salinger’s use of the Bananafish is symbolic of the greedy nature inevitably found in humans. The bananafish is Seymour’s invented sea creature that is the epitome of selfishness and gluttony; it eats an abundance of bananas and eventually dies of banana fever. The bananafish is significant in conveying how people are consumed with superficial and shallow desires and how their greed will lead to their demise. Seymour tells Sybil the story of the bananafish stating that once they get in the hole where there is many bananas, “they behave like pigs… and eat as many as seventy-eight bananas” (14). The bananafish draws parallels to the gluttony of people like Muriel, whose life revolves around consumerism. By saying they behave like pigs, Salinger conveys how individuals lose rationality and are overcome with a desire for more and more objective things. Seymour tells Sybil that the bananafish, “eat so many bananas they can’t get out of the banana hole” (10). This shows that once individuals are introduced to the greed and pettiness prevalent in society, it’s impossible to avoid. Seymour characterizing the bananafish in such ways represents his struggle to deal with the society he was once assimilated in, after fighting in war. As
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