《九故事》章节试读

《九故事》的笔记-第149页

幸福与快乐之间唯一的不同就在于幸福是实在的固体而快乐则是一种流体.

《九故事》的笔记-第142页 - De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period

摘自http://sittingbee.com/de-daumier-smiths-blue-period-j-d-salinger/
In De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period by J.D. Salinger we have the theme of loneliness, isolation, misrepresentation, reinvention, escape and connection. Taken from his Nine Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by a young man called Jean De Daumier-Smith, or at least that is the name that the narrator calls himself by. The fact that the reader never knows Jean’s real name may be significant as it suggests the idea of not only escape (from who Jean really is) but it also serves to highlight the possible idea of misrepresentation or reinvention. Jean appears to be uncomfortable with who he is and by changing his name it is possible that Salinger is allowing Jean to reinvent himself. The trigger for Jean wishing to reinvent himself appears to stem from the loneliness and isolation that he feels (possibly due to his mother’s death). By reinventing himself, Jean is able to escape from the painful realities (as he sees them) of the world around him. Jean is not the only person who reinvents himself in the story. His step-father, Bobby, also changed the course of his life after the crash of the stock markets in 1929, leaving behind his job as a ’dead stockbroker and incapacitated bon vivant’, to become a ‘unqualified agent-appraiser for a society of independent art galleries and fine arts museums.’
Salinger further explores the theme of escape. While travelling to Paris in 1930, the reader discovers that Jean spent some of his time, looking into the ‘stateroom mirror to note my (Jean’s) uncanny physical resemblance to El Greco.’ This line may be significant as not only does it highlight the idea of escape but it also suggestive of Jean wishing to reinvent himself as somebody else. Further incidents in the story which suggest the idea or theme of escape include Jean’s assertion in his letter to Monsieur Yoshoto at Les Amis Des Vieux Maîtres that he is a great-nephew of Honoré Daumier (painter). It may also be significant that when Jean is writing to Monsieur Yoshoto he also claims that he is ten years older than he actually is (misrepresenting himself). Not only does Jean claim to be a great-nephew of Daumier and to be twenty-nine but he also implies that he is a friend (oldest and dearest) of Pablo Picasso (not only misrepresenting himself but reinventing his past). The fact that Jean states that it was his wife who died (in his letter to Yoshoto) and not his mother may also be significant as not only does it serve to highlight Jean’s continued misrepresentation of himself but it also suggests that there is a deeper (at least for Jean) connection between Jean and his mother. Some critics have suggested that by claiming that his wife had died, rather than his mother, Salinger is exploring the Oedipus complex.
There are also several occasions in the story in whereby Salinger is making reference to the isolation that Jean feels. The game of musical chairs that Jean plays suggests that he is isolated from society (again possibly because he is yet to come to terms with his mother’s death). Also the Yoshotos speak Japanese to each other when they are communicating, which in turn the reader suspects leaves Jean isolated from the conversation. Salinger may also be using the symbolism of the orthopaedic appliance store to further emphasis Jean’s sense of isolation. On his first encounter of the store Salinger tells the reader that Jean feels as though he will ‘always at best be a visitor in a garden of enamel urinals and bedpans.’ This line is significant as it suggests that Jean is disconnected from the world around him or at least he feels disconnected (if not isolated) from the world around him.
Jean’s epiphany at the end of the story may also be significant. Having previously felt the need to correspond further with Sister Irma and go to the convent to visit her he changes his mind after seeing the young woman fall in the orthopaedic appliance store. It is through this incident that Jean realises that he must let Sister Irma go. Salinger telling the reader that Jean was ‘giving Sister Irma her freedom to follow her own destiny. Everybody is a nun.’ This line is significant as for the first time in the story Jean appears to realise that not only Sister Irma but everybody has the right to follow their own path (without his direction). The fact that Jean, while writing his letters to his students (reinstating them) sits down on a chair in his room for the first time may also be significant. Previously Salinger appeared to be using chairs to symbolise Jean’s isolation from people (and the world) now it would seem that Salinger is using the chair in Jean’s room to symbolise Jean’s reconnecting with the world. No longer does the reader sense that Jean will isolate himself anymore from the world around him, something that is made clearer to the reader by Jean’s re-enrolment in college and his continued correspondence with Bambi Kramer.

《九故事》的笔记-第1页 - A Perfect Day for Bananafish

摘自http://sittingbee.com/a-perfect-day-for-bananafish-j-d-salinger/
In A Perfect Day for Bananafish by J.D. Salinger we have the theme of appearance, innocence, materialism and communication. Taken from his Nine Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Salinger may be exploring the theme of appearance. As Muriel is waiting to use the phone in her hotel bedroom the reader finds that she has spent her time washing her comb and brush, taking a spot out of her skirt and tweezing two freshly surfaced hairs in her mole. Though this may all appear to be insignificant or something Muriel does to simply pass the time while she is waiting for the phone it is more likely that Salinger is highlighting to the reader the importance of appearance or image to Muriel. It is quite possible that Salinger is suggesting that Muriel may be more focused on herself (and her appearance) rather than on others (Seymour’s plight) and that she possesses a certain type of shallowness. It is also possible that by mentioning the Saks blouse and the women’s magazine, Salinger is also delving into the theme of materialism, again something that appears to be important to Muriel.
Salinger may also be exploring the idea or theme of appearance while Muriel is on the phone talking to her mother. While Muriel is talking to her mother she comments on a dress that the psychiatrist’s wife was wearing while Muriel was talking to the psychiatrist in the hotel bar. It becomes clear to the reader that Muriel does not consider that the psychiatrist’s wife had the appropriate figure to be wearing the dress. This may be significant as it again suggests the importance of appearance to Muriel. She would appear to be judging people based solely on their physical appearance rather than on their character. It may also be significant that Muriel and her mother saw the dress in a shop (Bonwit’s) window, as again this would play on the idea of materialism and it’s importance to Muriel (and her mother).
Muriel’s conversation with her mother on the phone is also important as it is through the conversation that the reader realises that Salinger is also exploring the theme of communication. Neither Muriel nor her mother allow each other the opportunity to finish their sentences while they are talking to each other. There is a feeling that both are talking at each other rather than with each other. It may also be significant that Muriel tells her mother that she couldn’t really talk to the psychiatrist in the bar due to the noise. Again this may suggest the difficulties in communicating with others. The more obvious incident in whereby Salinger explores the difficulties in communicating with others is the fact that Seymour prefers to spend his time away from people (particularly adults), his preference being to sit in the Ocean room of the hotel playing the piano while Muriel sits in the bar. It is possible that Salinger is suggesting that Seymour distances himself from other adults as he is aware of how shallow they may be. It is also noticeable that while he is sitting on the beach, Seymour has chosen a spot that is outside the area reserved for guests of the hotel. Again there is a sense that Seymour wishes to isolate himself from others.
Though Seymour distances himself from those around him, he does have time for children, particularly Sybil Carpenter and Sarah Lipschutz. This may be significant as it can suggest that Seymour longs, by his interaction with Sybil and Sarah, for a return to innocence. The reader is aware that Seymour is suffering from what today would be called post-traumatic stress disorder caused by his participation and involvement in WWII and it is quite possible that Seymour, by distancing himself from adults, longs to live in a world that is simpler and purer (a child’s world).
There is also a lot of symbolism in the story which may be important. Salinger appears to be playing with names, both Seymour’s (see more) and Sarah Lipschutz’s (lips shut). Both these names are important as they suggest that Seymour has seen more (from his time in WWII) and Sarah’s name is significant as it suggests that Seymour prefers to keep his ‘lips shut’ or avoid communication with those around him (again particularly adults). The Bananafish itself may also be important as it can be seen to symbolise greed (through materialism). Just as the bananafish gorge on bananas Salinger may also be suggesting that people ‘fatten’ themselves with materialism. It is also possible that the Bananafish may symbolise the emotional pain that Seymour feels. Just as the Bananafish eat too many bananas, emotionally things get too much for Seymour.
The colour blue, which is mentioned twice in the story (Seymour’s swimming trunks and Muriel’s coat) may also be important symbolism. Blue is usually associated (particularly in literature) with innocence and purity. By dressing Seymour in blue while he is at the beach talking to Sybil, Salinger may be suggesting that Seymour though he may no longer be innocent or pure, is striving for a return to innocence. It may also be significant that Muriel tells her mother that she took the padding out of her blue coat. It is possible that this may suggest a lack of purity within Muriel. The reader already aware of the importance of appearance and materialism to Muriel.
The ending of the story is also interesting as it is through the ending that the reader gets a sense of how difficult Seymour finds it to live in a world that he does not like. The incident in the lift with the woman (who Seymour accuses of looking at his feet) serves to highlight this difficulty. While Seymour was able to express himself and participate in life with Sybil on the beach, it is apparent that this is not the case for Seymour when he in the lift. It is most likely because of this inability to interact (or communicate) with others, who are not children and his wishing not to be involved in a world in whereby he sees every adult as shallow or preoccupied with materialism, that Seymour takes the drastic step of killing himself.

《九故事》的笔记-第113页 - 为埃斯米而作--既有爱也有污秽凄苦

此刻，从他出医院回来的那天起，他第三次翻开老小姐的这本书，并且读出写在扉页上的简短题词。是用钢笔写的德文，字很小，规矩得都有点拘谨了，写的是：“亲爱的上帝，生活是地狱。”没头没脑，别的什么也看不出来。在房间令人窒息的死寂里，书页上这孤单单的一句像是具有无可辩驳，甚至是经典性控诉的意味。

《九故事》的笔记-第1页

如果塞林格看到我们在评头论足，恐怕会恶心呕吐吧

《九故事》的笔记-第176页

你和你的天气都好吗?