"A Perfect Day for Bananafish"

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the short story, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish", by J.D. Salinger. Specifically, it explains the author's motives of alienation in the story. It shows how alienation forms the backbone of this story about a veteran returned from the war, and the difficulty he has in adjusting himself to returning to "normal" life at home. Alienation causes Seymour to feel desperate and psychotic and keeps him from experiencing the love and comfort he seems to need so very much. It explains how this theme also points out how we still tend to alienate the people around us today and shows we are a society far removed from emotional and caring bonds, in most cases.

From the Paper:

"Each of the characters in "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" suffers their own form of alienation and withdrawal from the world, and this ultimately leads to the tragic ending of this unusual and disturbing short story. Author Salinger uses these motives of alienation to finally show why Seymour kills himself, and how alienation is so prevalent and destructive in our modern society. The main character, Seymour Glass, is a rather pathetic man who is on a "second honeymoon" with his wife, Muriel, after he returns from the war. He spends his days isolated on the beach, wrapped in a terrycloth robe, while his vain and selfish wife paints her nails in their hotel room. Everyone is afraid of Seymour, because he has acted very strangely since his return, as Muriel's mother rants about on the phone to her daughter."

More papers on "A Perfect Day for Bananafish":

• Analytical Essay # 103315 : "Salinger's "Bananafish" as Extended Zen Koan"
• Book Review # 105347 : "J. D. Salinger's War Fiction"
• Analytical Essay # 66637 : "Holden Caulfield and Seymour Glass"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: