The Connection between Symbols and Theme in Franny and Zooey
Symbols are efficient literary devices that help establish the message the author desires to convey. With the aid of specific symbols in Franny and Zooey, J.D. Salinger suggests that to lose all phoniness and egotistical behaviour is being able to respect and love all human beings. Through the symbolism of the Fat Lady and its representation of various individuals, Salinger exhibits the importance of respecting individuals regardless of their egotistical behaviour. Furthermore, the symbol of the chicken soup and its correlation to Franny and Zooey’s mother play a significant part in the understanding of the theme. Moreover, through the symbol of the Professor and his association
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Salinger examines the idea of in order to lose one’s egotistical behaviour is to respect all individuals. In the story, Franny and Zooey comes from a family-run segment on the radio that showcases their intelligence. However, due to the fact that they struggle to respect people who they believe are egotistical, their older brother, Seymour, tells them to show kindness towards the Fat Lady who is listening to them on the radio: “He said to shine them for the Fat Lady... He never did tell me who the Fat lady was, but I shined my shoes for the Fat Lady every time I ever went on the air again” (Salinger 199). Furthermore, Zooey reveals to Franny, who desires to rid all of her egotistical behaviour, that the Fat Lady represents all individuals. In other words, Zooey tells Franny that regardless of who the person is, they deserve respect such as having clean shoes for the Fat Lady. The symbol of the Fat Lady correlates to the theme of the story as the symbol brings about the idea of no matter how egotistical a person is, they deserve respect. In order for Franny to rid her phony tendencies, she needs to have respect for all. In like manner to Seymour’s advice of looking clean and tidy in front of the Fat Lady, regardless of the Fat Lady’s appearance, J.D. Salinger reveals that to lose one’s egotistical behaviour is to respect all individuals. Additionally, Arthur Mizener introduces literary criticism through his idea of needing love in …show more content…
Salinger highlights the theme of the story. In Franny and Zooey, Franny constantly complains about her Professor’s hatred towards her as a result of Franny’s rude treatment towards the Professor. Franny sees Professor Tupper’s ‘oxfordish’ behaviour as an appropriate reason to despise him and fails to see that because of her prejudgement towards Professor Tupper, Franny also shows an ‘oxfordish’ behaviour herself. Furthermore, Professor Tupper symbolizes all the individuals with an egotistical behaviour. Additionally, Zooey advises Franny to hate what Professor Tupper represents instead of hating Professor Tupper, and to show respect towards him: “I mean you don’t just despise what they represent—you despise them. It’s too damn personal, Franny. You get a real homicidal glint in your eye when you talk about this Tupper, for instance” (Salinger 161). The symbol of the Professor correlates to the theme of the story as Franny despises her Professor’s ego and as a result, refuses to show respect towards him. On the other hand, Franny shows her egotistical behaviour due to her belief that she is superior to the Professor. As a result, Zooey tells Franny that even those who are phony deserves respect and failing to do so refrains individuals from liberating themselves from their own phoniness. Additionally, James Lundquist’s critical essay, A Cloister of
The Pigman by Paul Zindel is a book that has many symbols, and means of those symbols can be explained to the farthest extent. This will talk about some of the many symbols that are used in this story.
Updike, John. "A & P" Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 6th Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002.
In Charles Baxter’s short story “Gryphon” Tommy defends Mrs. Ferenczi, for two main reasons. First, she’s different than everyone else in five oaks; she makes things up about weird and interesting stories that aren't necessarily true. Tommy has never met anyone like her and enjoys having her around, and as the story unfolds, we see that the more intense and odd Mrs. Freneczi becomes, the greater lengths Tommy goes to defend her. (This is the second part of the prompt, which you haven’t addressed. If you added a bit more information from the text along these lines, your essay would be complete.
However, with this transition, some questions come up: What is the difference between being ridiculed and being pitied for? Is it really that much better to be pitied for? Answers to these questions would have made the transformation process of the term “fat” clearer. Though there is no doubt that Carver is making a statement here with the waitress’s pity, it is more than just pity for the fat man and more than just the presence of “the grotesque” (Kurkjian 2). It is seeing the fat man beyond his fat, someone who is mannerly and also shameful of his weight. When the waitress interacts with him, he thanks her for the food, forgives her for spilling his water, and frequently says that “they” (himself) do not eat so much all the time (Carver 67). The waitress realizes the kind-hearted and self-critical man he truly is and stands up for him when her fellow employees mock him. Carver does not change the term “fat.” In reality, he emphasizes the perception of what is beyond being fat, that there is more under the surface of what he or she looks like. Here, Carver is, in fact, using the Freudian idea of superego, which “concentrates on the mind of morals and ethics” (Abrams
Class politics are introduced to the story when the Phonies arrive in Stella Street. The Phonies are disliked as soon as they arrive in Stella Street because of the renovations they make on Old Aunt Lillie’s house and the children of Stella Street make fun of the fact that the Phonies refurnish the house (p.13). Henni encourages the reader to make fun of the high class Phonies about the way they speak, because the Phonies use words such as ‘dinnah’ and ‘daaaarling’ (p.18). This shows the Phonies in a negative way enticing the audience to take Henni’s side or a middle class approach to the story. When the Phonies send a note from their lawyer to Frank’s family for a proposal of a new fence (p.22) they are once again looked at poorly.
Franny held many strong beliefs that caused her to view her surroundings pessimistically. After spending three years contently in college, Franny changed her view of the college experience. She decided that college was “one more dopey inane place in the world.'; (Salinger, 146) She failed to see college as a place that allows one to increase his or her knowledge and independence. Similarly, she thought “that just because [she] wanted enlightenment or peace instead of prestige or fame-doesn’t mean that [she was] not as egotistical and self seeking as everybody else.';(Salinger, 149) Instead of looking for the positive qualities in others, she made a generalization that all people are egotistical and self-seeking. Additionally, she “raved and bitched about the stupidity of [her] audiences [and their] unskilled laughter.';(Salinger, 199) Despite the fact that the audiences were supporting Franny by watching her perform, she insists all audiences are stupid. Franny’s religious quest caused her to view her surroundings pessimistically.
In chapter one we are introduced to our narrator, Ponyboy. Ponyboy is raised by his two older brothers Darry and Soda. They’re all apart of a gang called the “greasers” which is joined by Dally, Johnny, Two-bit, and Steve. There is another group called “ socs” which stands for socials, and everyone in that group is very wealthy. One day Ponyboy got jumped by a socs group, but luckily Darry was there to help before anything too serious happened. The first element of literature is characterization. Ponyboy is a keen observer, trying to make sense of the complexities of those around him. At the beginning of the story, he stops and spends several pages giving us brief character description on Steve, Two-Bit, Dally, and Johnny. This is also known as direct characterization. He tells us that Steve is "cocky and smart" ( Hinton 9). Two-Bit can 't stop joking around and goes to school for "kicks" (Hinton 10) rather than to learn. Dallas, he says, is "tougher, colder, meaner" ( Hinton 10) than the rest of them.
6th ed. New York: St. James Press, 1996. Literature Resource Center. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
She compares the two careless who seem equally improbable candidates for self-respect: Julian English in Appointment in Samarra and Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby; Jordan Baker had a self-respect, while Julian English didn’t and committed suicide. An incurably dishonest, Jordan Baker once said in The Great Gatsby, “It takes two to make an accident”. To wit, she justified what she had done (primarily bad) by recognizing that not only in car accidents, in which it is more often than not one person’s fault, but also in a relationship, two people have to involve. If Jordan Baker didn’t have self-respect, just like Julian English, she would not sleep, to say nothing of caring about how other people would think of her. Rather, knowing the price of things, she stands as a great example of person with self-respect having the courage of one’s mistakes. Also, Jordan Baker, unlike Daisy in The Great Gatsby, a fool with money who married a rich man, bewitched by the sensual voice of money at the moment, will probably cut off the ring of same miseries
Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. 2189.
Egalitarianism can be absurd and detrimental to American society. In the story, heavy weights are put on strong people, and grotesque masks are put on attractive women. Also, many other people who have an above average intelligence often listen to loud noises which render them from completing a thought (5-7). Harrison’s father, George, compares the noises to, “somebody hitting a milk bottle with a ball peen hammer.” Darryl Hattenhauer of Arizona State proposes that “The story satirizes the American definition of freedom as the greatest good to the smallest number.” Unfortunately, the sacrifice of the individual to the good of society doesn’t improve conditions for the above average, average, or below (Alvarez). Joseph Alvarez suggests that, “the result [of the] power vacuum [is] a ruthless central government created by legislative controls people’s lives, which have become as meaningless as if they were machines.” In addition, the American dream that is described as moving up social and economic class through hard work and education; turn into a nightmare (Hattenhauer). For example, Kurt Vonnegut infers that the ballerina who reads ann...
Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1989.
...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.
The Snob Therefore, John’s actions illustrate the importance of first impressions and emphasizes that having relations with someone who demonstrates qualities that are unfavourable to society can damage others impression of you, leaving people that are insecure to
Not judging someone on their outward appearance, Lying ultimately gets you nowhere, Abusing people is never good, Treating people how you would like to be treated, and Staying true to yourself are just some of the moral and ethical lessons that I gathered from A Streetcar Named Desire. Published in 1946, this play shed light on the middle and lower classes around the time of the Great Depression. Some of these lessons arise because the nation was ready to embrace the “old fashioned values” of the home and families after World War II took place.