Multiple Sides to a Story

So, I know this is backtracking, but I wanted to take some time and revisit Salinger’s “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”. While searching the internet for “fun facts on J.D. Salinger” on a lovely, sunny Saturday afternoon, I came across a somewhat startling fact that apparently Salinger had a predilection for young teen girls. This aspect of Salinger’s life was seen as very disturbing to others, even filmmakers who were attempting to create a movie that gave people insight into Salinger’s life. The movie touches on Salinger’s early romance with high-schooler Oona O’Neill (who would later marry Charlie Chaplin), and describes his involvement with Jean Miller, whom he met when she was 14 and he was 30. It also delves into his relationship with Claire Douglas, whom he met when she was 16 and who became his second wife and mother to his two children.

One of his most well-documented relationships was with the 18-year-old Joyce Maynard, while he was 53. She dropped out of Yale to live with him for 10 months, where she wrote her first novel about living with Salinger. After 10 months, he their relationship ended abruptly. At the film's premiere in Telluride, Maynard attended and commented that she was more agitated by the movie than she expected, saying that “Salinger’s interest in seeking out young girls in certainly an element in the film. But the disturbing consequences of this behavior, to the girls, is barely addressed, and the suggestion has been made that there was some kind of privilege or honor involved in having been selected as a muse...It is my view that J.D. Salinger damaged the lives of many young girls, on a far greater scale than is represented in Salerno’s film.” So, even with the film out and Salinger’s nature exposed, many people still feel it lucky for Maynard to have had the chance to be in a relationship with the great J.D. Salinger. Many don’t take the time to realize the hardships she went through by dropping out of Yale, just four months away from graduation, because she felt like she was in love, only to be dumped ten months later.

The movie about Salinger’s life came out in 2013 and was unfortunately a flop for most Salinger fans were unhappy with how cheesy the movie, among other displeasing aspects. But after seeing the film, some people were taken aback, and also unable to accept the disturbing parts of Salinger’s personality. In the initial early cuts of the film, many people were like “We get it”, implying that Salinger’s accomplishments outweigh his romantic nature. In today’s world, if someone were to have the same tendencies as Salinger, their career would plummet and they would be punished. But, back then, people revered Salinger and literary talents.

Now, relating this back to “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”, I honestly think Salinger reflected his character in Seymour, more than we may think. Seymour is seen as an outlier among the adult community because he feels more comfortable sinking into this child-like state. Although this sort of behavior is frowned upon and causes adults to worry about Seymours nature, it’s what he feels comfortable with. Now, Seymour, as we know it, doesn’t seek relationships with the children he chooses to hang out with, he would just rather play with them than adults. But, his actions are still frowned upon because no one takes the chance to try and understand him. Similar, Salinger’s nature of dating teenage girls was also probably frowned upon. I’m not saying his preference for teenagers should be acceptable, but I’m thinking that no one took the time to understand him except for the girls he was in a relationship with. But, even with his questionable past, it’s interesting that people refuse to dwell on Salinger’s dark side and choose to revere him for his literary talents.