J.D. Salinger displays many tones in his short story "For Esme - with Love and Squalor." In the beginning the tone is quite scornful and sarcastic towards his mother-in-law and his wife. Next, we see a sensitive and youthful tone, when the narrator, Sergeant X, interacts with children. There is also an angry tone that appears closer to the end of the story that refers to his brother. These tones are shown on several different occasions throughout the story; in each instance the tone describes the narrator's attitude toward the character.
Many times throughout the story the tone of the narrator, Sergeant X, is scornful and sarcastic. For example, in the beginning, he wants to attend Esmes's wedding in England; unfortunately he is convinced by his wife not to go. Although he calls his wife "breathtaking and level headed" we learn later when asked if he was "deeply in love" with his wife, he does not answer. Furthermore, Sergeant X receives letters from his wife during the war and she only complains about her trivial problems in America. She does not ask about his well being at war. Also, he comments how he does not see his mother in law very often and "that she's not getting any younger." She also asks for some cashmere yarn to be sent home and she too does not inquire about his welfare. We see that these two characters are depicted as selfish and very apathetic, because of the sarcastic tone set by the narrator.
When Sergeant X interacts with children; a very sensitive, caring and youthful tone is set. For instance, while he listened to choir of children sing he described the experience as "melodious and unsentimental," and stated that maybe if he was a more religious man, he could have experienced levitation. In addition, the narrator conveys the image of Esme and her "oddly radiant" smile and he makes a comment about her nice dress and hair. Then secondly described how Charles's eyes filled with pride as he told a riddle, how green his eyes were and how "splendid" his outfit was. Esme and Charles were the only people in the story were a positive tone was set. This tone depicts not only the innocence of the children seen by Sergeant X, but also shows his sensitive, youthful characteristic and his yearning to love.
In JD Salinger’s Franny and Zooey, Franny Glass undergoes a mental and physical collapse, followed by a spiritual crisis. Every one of the Glass children is considerably precocious and deep thinking, and Franny and Zooey are no exception. With her fluctuating self-worth and perception, Franny begins to break down without any conscious awareness of why, which ultimately leaves her curled up on her mother’s couch in a state of emotional, intellectual, and spiritual crisis. This is why there is a need for urgent and vigorous “therapy” for Franny, and Zooey, having shared the elder Glass’ spiritual instruction, is the only character capable of providing any support for Franny.
War slowly begins to strip away the ideals these boy-men once cherished. Their respect for authority is torn away by their disillusionment with their schoolteacher, Kantorek who pushed them to join. This is followed by their brief encounter with Corporal Himmelstoss at boot camp. The contemptible tactics that their superior officer Himmelstoss perpetrates in the name of discipline finally shatters their respect for authority. As the boys, fresh from boot camp, march toward the front for the first time, each one looks over his shoulder at the departing transport truck. They realize that they have now cast aside their lives as schoolboys and they feel the numbing reality of their uncertain futures.
J.D. Salinger conveys The Catcher in the Rye’s meaning by combining three of the novel’s elements: Holden’s personality, resistance to having guidance in his life, and actions. Primarily, he uses Holden, The Catcher in the Rye’s protagonist, as an example of a teenager who has failed to develop during the essential period of youth. Additionally, he uses the characters of Mr. Spencer and Mr. Antolini to act as voices of reason to Holden, while also showing Holden’s missed opportunities in life when he does not take their advice. Lastly, Salinger utilizes Holden’s desire to act both older and younger than his age to show the dangers that come with poor decision making, as well as their consequences. The main purpose of Salinger’s novel, The Catcher
Erich Maria Remarque develops this theme by utilizing the symbol of army attire, the motif of separation of powers between different generations, and the motif of lost innocence. Remarque visits the many horrors of wars in the field and in their consciences through powerful symbolism that convey the realities they face, readers can see this through remarks of the characters along the story. Readers observe how the loss of youth scars these men and their ambitions, how soldiers seemingly feel like kids without their attire and the great divide and distrust they hold towards their previous generation. It is in these devices readers can fully grasp the horror and tragedy of
Wildermuth, April. "Nonconformism in the Works of J.D. Salinger." 1997 Brighton High School. 24 November 2002. <http://ww.bcsd.org/BHS/english/mag97/papers/Salinger.htm>
In many novels written by J.D. Salinger, there is a recurring theme of love that
The author effectively conveys this theme through the use of characterization, symbolism, and contrast. Jolley uses characterization to individualize each character in a poverty-stricken family. The son is referred to as a prince by his mother several times throughout the story, even though he is a high school dropout. “Mother always called him Prince. She worried about him all the time.
Wildermuth, April. "Nonconformism in the Works of J.D. Salinger." 1997 Brighton High School. 24 November 2002. <http://ww.bcsd.org/BHS/english/mag97/papers/Salinger.htm>
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. ...
...it may help us arrive at an understanding of the war situation through the eyes of what were those of an innocent child. It is almost unique in the sense that this was perhaps the first time that a child soldier has been able to directly give literary voice to one of the most distressing phenomena of the late 20th century: the rise of the child-killer. While the book does give a glimpse of the war situation, the story should be taken with a grain of salt.
...is interactions with his wife are filled with tension and he is saddened when he reflects upon the men lost during war and the death of his brother.
After he goes to ride the soldier, he his flung from his back and actually sees the soldier, “a face that lack a lower jaw – from upper teeth to the throat was a great red gap fringed with hanging shreds of flesh and splinters of bone.” (Bierce 44). This is the first glimpse the boy comprehends of the true devastation of war. And at this point the child has his first rational reaction,“terrified at last, ran to a tree near by, got upon the farther side of it and took a more serious view of the situation.” (Bierce 44). The author is using the childes revelation of the violence in war to introduce to his readers the devastation of
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.
One example of tone that is displayed in White’s essay is nostalgia: “It seemed to me, as I kept remembering all this, that those ties and those summers have been infinitely precious and worth saving.” This passage describes as if White is longing to relive the sacred summer still close to his heart, but something still remains missing. Another example of tone that is exemplified is peace: “This seemed an utterly enchanted sea, this lake you could leave to its own devices for a few hours and come back to, and find that it had not stirred, this constant and trustworthy body of water.” This passage sets the tone thoroughly. As White describes how the lake is trustworthy and persistent, he is portraying the idea of the memories he once experienced remain unchanged. The change of tone helps connect both positive and negative emotions
J.D. Salinger’s “For Esmé—With Love and Squalor” provides several symbolic characters and imagery to help show the deeper meaning to the stories’ surface. At the start of the story, a soldier and two young children meet and proceed to have, what seems to be an innocent conversation, yet turns out to be crucial. Sergeant X, better known as the innocent soldier, who was introduced at the beginning of the story, returns from war described as, “a young man who had not come through the war with all his faculties intact…” (Salinger 104). In contrast to the depressed solider, Esmé, the young girl, hides the emotional effects of the war ever since it took her beloved father from her. She represents the deeply