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Self-tranquility and Love in the Book A Perfect Day for Bananafish by J.D. Salinger

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The word, “bananafish” may seem like one of the many imaginary words of a child, but this was actually thought up by a character named Seymour Glass; a man with the mind of a non-adolescent, and the body of a grown person. Married and in love, Seymour goes off to fight in World War II. Upon his return, he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Therefore mentally setting him back for the rest of his life. For example, through the course of the story, a reader may notice how he tends to block off most of the people who care about him. J.D. Salinger lived with a similar mindset to Seymour; he blocked off, not only his loved ones, but society overall. At the time of writing, “A Perfect Day for Bananafish,” he had an interest in Zen Buddhism. In Zen Buddhism, self-tranquility is a very strong factor to practicing the religion. However, they both may be private, but Seymour Glass has the mindset of a child, due to the war trauma. Sybil, a child Seymour meets on the beach, is a symbol for Seymour’s mind. His childlike mindset causes him trouble adjusting to the reality of society. The cruel reality for Seymour is the greed the people in his life have. Therefore the term Banana Fever is a reference to the greed in society. Just like the Bananafish are greedy for bananas, humans are greedy as well. So, while everyone is infected with Banana fever. Seymour turns to a serious solution. With this being said, In the story, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" JD Salinger uses symbolism

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