Imagery_in_'a_Perfect_Day_for_Bananafish'

The term imagery refers to the use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas. (Simpson 220).The short story A Perfect Day for Bananafish, by J.D. Salinger, creates imagery in almost every aspect of the story; yet, after intensive analysis, the significance behind the imagery unfolds. Four different types of imagery in the story represent different symbolisms, for example: Visual Imagery (with reference to the bananafish), Gustatory Imagery (with reference to the olives), Tactile Imagery (with reference to Seymour who grasps Sybil's ankle) as well as Organic Imagery (with reference to Seymour’s state of distress). (http://www.frostfriends.org/imagery.html). These references will be elaborated on as the essay progresses. A Perfect Day for Bananafish is a story about a soldier of the army (Seymour Glass) who battled in World War II, and who departs on holiday with his materialistic wife (Muriel Glass). Seymour Glass suffers from post-traumatic stress due to the horrors he witnessed in the war. As is revealed in the story, he seems to struggle to connect with adults – but can easily relate to the uncorrupted and innocent youth, such as Sybil Carpenter and Sharon Lipschutz. Muriel Glass, on the other hand, appears to be aloof and nonchalant about Seymour’s complication. Sunburns play a crucial function in the short story in connection with imagery. With focus on Seymour (who is very pale and covers himself with a robe on the beach to refrain from getting sun burnt), refers to being exposed to more sun as losing one’s spiritual purity or youthful innocence. Thus, Seymour is trying to maintain his – whilst Muriel (who is badly sun burnt) has lost hers, due to her materialistic nature and false exterior (which is evident with regards to her constant titivating). The colour blue in A Perfect Day for Bananafish may refer to purity or innocence (Gage 209). Seymour’s swimming shorts are blue (which represents innocence), portraying that he is desperately trying to repair his innocence after the ghastly war. Seymour even refers to Sybil’s yellow swimming costume as blue as he relates her young persona (which hasn’t been corrupted by the world as of yet) to the concept of innocence: “That’s a fine bathing suit you have on. If there’s one thing I like, it’s a blue bathing suit”. (Salinger 92) With reference to the quotations, “Did you see more glass'” and, “Pussycat, stop saying that. It’s driving Mommy absolutely crazy” (Salinger 90); the author is attempting to elaborate on how communication between the adult mind and a child, or a child-like mind, is difficult in the story. Just as an adult doesn’t understand the way that Sybil thinks, he or she won’t understand the way in which Seymour thinks. “If you want to look at my feet, say so, . . . But don’t be a God-damned sneak about it”. (Salinger 96). This quotation is a clear example of two crucial characteristics of Seymour’s character. Firstly, Seymour’s irrational behaviour and insecurity caused by a harmless action indicate that he is clearly mentally unstable. Although Muriel allows the reader to believe that Seymour is mentally unstable based on the conversation about his psychological condition with her mother; the above phrase (which occurs in the elevator with another woman) is the first clear indication of how mentally unstable Seymour actually is. Secondly, Seymour is angry with the woman for being inauthentic (“a sneak”), which may just be criticism against the materialistic world of the hotel. After the confrontation with the woman in the elevator, Seymour commits suicide in his hotel room – which allows one to think that the confrontation with the woman in the elevator was his final attempt at communication with the adult world. “Then he went over sat down on the unoccupied bed, looked at the girl, aimed the pistol, and fired a bullet through his right temple.” (Salinger 96). As the reader starts to read the above quotation, he or she believes that Seymour is about to shoot Muriel (which may have been the crazy act Muriel’s mother was worried about) (Salinger 87), but instead Seymour commits suicide. Although Seymour’s suicide is, in fact, shocking – it wasn’t a surprise, as subtle hints lie in the body of the story: one being, Seymour’s description of the bananafish which eventually die (he may have foreshadowed his own death). An analysis of the three most important characters in A Perfect Day for Bananafish (Seymour, Muriel and Sybil), allows the reader to comprehend the outcome of the deplorable short story. Seymour Glass is portrayed as an erratic and unbalanced man due to the interpretation the reader receives from Muriel and her mother’s telephone conversation. Yet, for most of the story, Seymour is actually quiet and placid – contrasting what the reader perceives of him at first. Seymour’s interactions with Sybil are, in fact, a quest for his lost innocence – yet, the reader does indeed sense uncomfortable sexual undertones. The ways in which he disrobes in front of Sybil (which he won’t do in front of his wife, Muriel), and physically touches her without her mother’s company, as well as the way he kisses her foot are all possible signs of Seymour being sexually attracted to Sybil. (Salinger 94-94) Muriel Glass is a pretty socialite who is obsessed with a materialistic and superficial world – a world which Seymour is an outsider of. She seems unconcerned (or even unaware) of Seymour’s great distress. Although she does love him (as is clear, because she waited for him throughout the war), she is naïve about the circumstances Seymour has had to face due to the war – resulting in who he has become. Sybil Carpenter has many similarities to Seymour Glass. They are both alone and misunderstood. They understand each other, though, and engage in each other’s imagination. Yet, when Seymour kisses Sybil’s foot – she protests. This shows the reader that Sybil (although the child in the equation) is more willing to return to the ‘real world’ than Seymour (the adult). Another example would be of Seymour attempting to interest Sybil in ‘bananafish’, at first she finds it rather foolish (just as an adult would) whereas Seymour is rather excited to explain ‘bananafish’ to her (just as a child would). Seymour and Sybil have a conversation about olives and wax – two items which are regularly referred to in the Bible. (http://www.followtherabbi.com/Brix'pageID=1653) “Olives –yes. Olives and wax. I never go anyplace without ‘em” [as quoted by Seymour]. (Salinger 94). The relevance of this, is that Seymour may be suggesting that he is reliant on God – perhaps, because of the struggles he has faced and hopes to be ‘purified’ and relieved of his plight. Sybil’s name refers to Greek mythology in which ‘sibyls’ are figures who can see the future. (Lagerkvist 158). Sybil can ‘see’ the bananafish which Seymour is referring to. Bananafish “…[s]wim into a hole where there’s a lot of bananas. They’re very ordinary-looking fish when they swim in. But once they get in, they behave like pigs. Why, I’ve known some bananafish to swim into a banana hole and eat as many as seventy-eight bananas…Naturally, after that they’re so fat they can’t get out of the hole again…They die”. (Salinger 95). By referring to bananafish, Seymour is, in fact, referring to himself; and by ‘seeing’ the bananafish, Sybil is also able to foresee Seymour’s death – just like a sibyl. A key theme in A Perfect Day for Bananafish is the theme of communication, or with regards to this story, rather of lack thereof. Examples of this are as follows: Muriel and her mother have a chaotic communication wherein neither of them really listens to what the other is saying. They talk at each other rather than with each other, and are solely focused on getting their own views and points across. The reader also senses a lack of communication between Seymour and Muriel – especially due to the fact that Muriel honestly believes that Seymour is mentally stable. The only successful communication in the story (although it is simply a gesture) is that of Seymour’s suicide, as it communicates Seymour’s actual state of mind – being that in actuality Seymour is very mentally unstable and in desperate need to regain his innocence; and when he realises he is unable to achieve that, he takes his own life to escape the corrupted world. In conclusion, A Perfect Day for Bananafish by J.D. Salinger is, in fact, a story about a man who cannot handle the tainted adult world after World War II. Just like the bananafish who eventually die, Seymour becomes ‘fat’ from the overflow of painful emotions he cannot express – and dies.