J.D. Salinger fans? (Franny and Zooey, Nine Stories, Raise High the Roofbeam Carpenters & Seymour, an Intro.)?

Question

Hello

I have to do a report for school about the books by J.D. Salinger

Raise High the Roofbeam Carpenters & Seymour, an Introduction

Franny & Zooey

and Nine Stories.

I really need help figuring out some themes a figuring out the 'Glass family' of the book. My teacher sent this:

"describe the Glass fmaily and its interconnections (not with noses and chins as Buddy sometimes does in 'seymour and introduction,' but) with insight about family traits, morals (what does that word mean anyway?), and ability to love (what kind of love?). be sure to use ALL available evidence in Nine Stories."

So, that's what I need help with. If you have ready any of these books, please give me your opinions and ideas. I really need some help with this.

Thanks a bunch, guys.

KG

Answer 1

Well, all of the Glass children appeared on the radio quiz show called "It's a Wise Child" so they're all very intelligent, as well as personable. If I'm not mistaken their parents also come from a theatrical/vaudevillian background so they've been raised to sort of stand out from the crowd. I think that all of them view the world rather cynically but some can accept this (Zooey, Buddy, Boo-Boo) while others have difficulty in dealing with their feelings about others (Franny, Seymour). They all obviously love one another and support each other but theirs doesn't seem to be a particularly demonstrative family-they seem to have difficulty expressing exactly how they feel about one another. They all seem to have intimacy issues in that regard. Seymour's suicide in "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" is one example. I think he killed himself because he just couldn't stand how the world was, how he saw it, and how he couldn't help but be impatient and somewhat contemptuous of people including his new wife. He cared about her but had difficulty expressing this to her. He also felt contempt for her but hated himself for feeling that too.