Anyone with genuine interest in literature, has heard about the recent leakage of Three Stories, a collection of three short stories written by famous American writer, J. D. Salinger. While I do not support the fact, that those are now known to general public despite author’s wishes for the stories not to be published until 50 years after his death, I cannot say, that I wasn’t thrilled when I heard they leaked. I will only focus on one of the three stories here, namely The Ocean Full of Bowling Balls, precursor to the famed The Catcher in the Rye, taking place on the day of Allie’s death. More specifically I will be dealing with the meaning and symbolism behind the phrase “bowling ball” in the text.
Wikipedia gives us following definition of a bowling ball: “A bowling ball is a piece of sporting equipment used to hit bowling pins in the sport of bowling. Ten-pin bowling balls are typically hard spheres with three holes drilled in them, one each for the ring and middle fingers, and one for the thumb.”
It is a sporting equipment and as such we can easily connect it with fun and competition, it also has holes drilled for the fingers, which leads to a better grip, more control. On the other hand, it is heavy, thus it is something that wants to get away from you, it is hard to hold control of it, it needs those holes drilled if we want to somewhat control it.
We first meet this phrase in the title, “The Ocean Full of Bowling Balls”. Ocean is in itself something light, relaxing, but bowling balls here immediately present themselves as heavy. It would be impossible to swim in ocean were it filled with bowling balls. If we connect the previously mentioned aspect of the heavy things being hard to control, such ocean would be even mor...
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...he bowling balls, simply answers: “Yeah, Vincent.”
This final use of the phrase and the simple Holden’s answer appears to be of no significance at the first sight. Yet this very answer is quite important. It could be shown either as agreeance or as resignation. Resignation at the fact, that the ocean just has to be full of bowling balls. One cannot change this, it is simple law of nature.
If we look back to the title now, it is fairly clear, that the ocean full of bowling balls presents polar opposites. It presents both life and death, and the bowling balls present all the joys of life and all its burdens. At the same time they also portray the relief from the burdens of life and cruel separation from the joys the life brings us. No matter how hard we try, we can’t escape the ocean, for it presents both, life and death. We can only try to swim or resign and drown.
The author shows the reader the sea just as the sailor does as death, but more than death
The juxtaposition of the Titanic and the environment in the first five stanzas symbolizes the opposition between man and nature, suggesting that nature overcomes man. The speaker characterizes the sea as being “deep from human vanity” (2) and deep from the “Pride of Life that planned” the Titanic. The diction of “human vanity” (2) suggests that the sea is incorruptible by men and then the speaker’s juxtaposition of vanity with “the
Transition: First, I want to talk about the equipment used in the game of bowling.
In her essay, Pamela Steinle asserts that The Catcher in the Rye is a mundane novel and is confused as to how it gained a great deal of popularity, both positive and negative. She argues that, “[i]t is this fear of nuclear holocaust,... that I believe is at the
Salinger, J. D.. The Catcher in the Rye. [1st ed. Boston: Little, Brown, 19511945. Print.
Although the words are almost fifty years old, Gift from the Sea still speaks powerfully about humanity. Using metaphors of different kinds of shells she finds on the beach, she talks about solitude and the distracted lives we lead. Along the way, she shares meditations about life that are simple yet profound. She advocates a simple life that cuts out the excesses – the things that clutter and complicate our lives. “Simplification of outward life is not enough. It is merely the outside. But I am starting with the outside. I am looking at the outside of my life – the shell. The complete answer is not to be found on the outside, in an outward mode of living. This is only a technique, a road to grace. The final answer, I know, is always inside.” In her explanation of simplification, she explains that there are two types of rhythm – hectic and primeval. Hectic rhythm is when someone is une...
Roemer, Danielle M. "The Personal Narrative and Salinger's Catcher in the Rye". Western Folklore 51 (1992): 5-10.
During the process of growing up, we are taught to believe that life is relatively colorful and rich; however, if this view is right, how can we explain why literature illustrates the negative and painful feeling of life? Thus, sorrow is inescapable; as it increase one cannot hide it. From the moment we are born into the world, people suffer from different kinds of sorrow. Even though we believe there are so many happy things around us, these things are heartbreaking. The poems “Tips from My Father” by Carol Ann Davis, “Not Waving but Drowning” by Stevie Smith, and “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop convey the sorrow about growing up, about sorrowful pretending, and even about life itself.
...onal confusion comes his inability to accept his brother Allie’s premature death. Through characterization, symbolism, and internal and external conflict, Salinger uses the baseball mitt, the red hunting hat, and the carousel to explore the protagonist struggle to resolve his grief.
Born on January 1, 1919, Jerome David Salinger was to become one of America’s greatest contemporary authors. In 1938 Salinger briefly attended Ursinus College in Pennsylvania where he wrote a column, "Skipped Diploma," which featured movie reviews for his college newspaper. Salinger made his writing debut when he published his first short story, "The Young Folks," in Whit Burnett’s Story magazine (French, xiii). He was paid only twenty-five dollars. In 1939, at the age of 20, Salinger had not acquired any readers. He later enrolled in a creative writing class at Columbia University. Salinger was very much interested in becoming an actor and a playwright, which was quite odd because he would later in life become a recluse (Wenke, 3). Salinger adjusted his writing style to fit the literary marketplace. He was writing for money and began writing for magazines like Good Housekeeping and Mademoiselle. Many of Salinger’s characters have unique character traits. "Salinger presents a number of stories that consider characters who become involved in degrading, often phony social contexts," states a major critic (Wenke, 7). These characters are often young and have experienced a lot of emotional turmoil. They have been rejected by society and mainly categorized as "misfits." This alienation of the personality is often viewed as a sign of weakness by society when in fact the outcasts ultimately gain strength from their experiences as shown in Nine Stories, The Catcher in the Rye, and Franny and Zooey. Salinger is telling a tale of the human condition in its reality through his novels. Nine Stories is a collection of short stories of people who are uncertain of the next path to take in life. They are lonely, needy, and searching for love. One of these stories, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," is the story of a young couple who try to understand their life together and the true meaning of love. Seymour Glass has just been released from the Army Hospital and he is unable to adjust to life with his "crass wife Muriel amidst the lavish and vulgar atmosphere of their post-war second honeymoon" (Gwynn & Blotner, 19). It has often been called "the loveless tunnel of love." Salinger portrays Muriel in the first part of the story as superficial. ...
Good “feel,” (high resilience), high abrasion resistance and high spin are the desirable quantities that offered by the modern ball compared to previous golf ball.
Ambiguity in literature after World War II reflects and explores issues of self and society. These two ideas often work against each other instead of coexisting to form a struggle-free existence. J. D. Salinger, Sylvia Plath, and Richard Heller illustrate this struggle with their works. These authors explore ambiguity through different characters that experience the world in different ways. Identity, while it is an easy concept, can be difficult to attain. These authors seek out ambiguity with the human experience, coming to different conclusions. Ambiguity becomes a vehicle through which we can attempt to define humanity. J. D. Salinger’s novel, Catcher in the Rye, Sylvia Plath’s novel, The Ball Jar, and Richard Heller’s novel, Catch 22 explore ambiguity experienced through an attempt to find self. Each experience is unique, incapable of fitting a generic mold created by society.
Throughout the story the ocean represented Edna's constant struggle for self-realization and independence. From her first flow of emotion on the beach to her last breath of life in the sea, the ocean beckons her. The voice of the sea lures her onward in her journey toward liberation and empowerment.
“The Laughing Man” by Jeroma David Salinger may seem like a confusing story to some. I know the first time I read it I was scratching my head in confusion. This analysis will examine “baseball”, “the dentist”, and “baby carriages” as well as what they have to do with the conflict of the story. This will help the reader better to understand exactly what is taking place.
As Irving Howe once observed, “The knowledge that makes us cherish innocence makes innocence unattainable.” In a dynamic society, innocence evades even the youngest members of our world; it evades even the nonexistent members of our world. J.D. Salinger explores this elusive innocence in his short story, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish." Distinct similarities appear between the main character, Seymour Glass, and Salinger including the World War II experience and attraction for younger, more innocent people (Salerno). Salinger conveys this through Seymour’s preference of a young girl’s company over his own wife's company. Throughout the story, “Salinger constantly draws attention to himself and his precocious intellect” (Daniel Moran). “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” revolves around an army veteran post-World War II who visits a beach resort with his wife but spends more time there with the young Sybil Carpenter. Using a historical context of World War II and portrayal of many different characters, Salinger effectively depicts the story of a man in a desperate search for innocence. In “A Perfect Day for Bananafish,” J.D. Salinger uses symbolism and figurative language to stress the concept of unattainable innocence.