A Perfect Day for Bananafish is one of the most popular short stories of J.D. Salinger. It was first published in 1948 as part of an issue of The New Yorker. It tells the story of the Muriel Glass and her husband Seymour, who was exhibiting bizarre and anti-social behaviors. Muriel’s mother warns her of such behaviors, to which she dismissed and remarks that his idiosyncrasies are manageable. In the end, Seymour takes his own life. Within the narrative, the author presents two important themes which is madness and innocence – both of which is exemplified by the characters of the story.
One of the main themes of the story is madness. The concept of madness is exemplified by the character of Seymour, a young man who was recently discharged from his World War II service. Muriel’s mother believes that he is exhibiting odd behavior, which perhaps is a result of his war service. But what Seymour is actually exhibiting is post-traumatic stress which Muriel dismisses and asserts that the behavior is manageable (Galloway 16). Throughout the story, Seymour appears to be normal; and the only knowledge that the readers have of the man’s condition is through Muriel’s mother. It was only in the latter part of the story when Seymour’s true condition was reveal. More particularly, in the elevator when he accuses a woman of looking at his feet:
“If you want to look at my feet, say so, said the young man. But don’t be a God-damned sneak about it” (Salinger 34).
This passage shows his irrational and unfounded anger. This sudden and violent outbreak shows that he is in fact, mentally unstable. His illness was soon confirmed when he takes his own life. The author writes:
‘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 45).
This is the final sentence of the story. More than this, it is indicative of the crazy behavior that Muriel’s mother has been worried during the first part of the story. Although Seymour seem normal at first, this particular scene only shows that his mental condition has long been there and is little by little piling up. The sad thing about this is that his own wife failed to see this condition. This sends a very powerful message about psychological condition of an individual and more importantly, how some people seem oblivious to the symptoms of this illness. Through the character of Seymour, the author reminds the readers to be always on guard of the symptoms of mental disorder in order to prevent any unwanted consequences (Glasser 8).
Another obvious theme in the story is innocence. Innocence in this story is exemplified by the children. Seymour was drawn to the innocence of the children. This is mainly because the adult world fails to see what he is going through. His experience of the war greatly contrasts the innocence displayed by the children. In the same way, his inability to be a part of the adult world is evident with his relationship with his wife.
Based on the points provided, it can be concluded that the story employs the themes of madness and innocence. The author particularly used the character of Seymour to communicate these themes. The concept of madness for example, is shown in Seymour’s irate behavior and his decision to commit suicide. Alternately, innocence is evident in the character of the children. This of course is closely linked with Seymour as he is drawn towards the innocence of the kids as a way of dealing with the scars of his past.
Works Cited
Galloway, D. the Absurd Hero in American Fiction. Texas: University of Texas, 2014
Glasser, W. The Art of Literary Thieving. NY: Cambria Press, 2009
Salinger, J.D. A Perfect Day for Bananafish. NY: Shohakusha, 1961