[Bananafish] Poetry

[Michael J ANELLO]

1926, In the Glass world...a very consequential party happens 2 years
after Buddy and Seymour are at Camp Hapworth.
 
Real world, Salinger's "Bananafish" is published Saturday, January 31,
1948 - in the "Bananafish" world, it is Thursday, March 18, 1948.
 
Rhea Fedder, tries to call her daughter Muriel last night (Wednesday
night, 3/17/48) and the night before (Tuesday night, 3/16/48).  Muriel
and Seymour arrive at their destination a day later than Rhea expected
they would arrive.  And now Muriel is calling her two days later than
Rhea expected.  It's Thursday, March 18, 1948, Muriel and Seymour
arrived at their destination yesterday morning.
 
So, picture yourself in the real world on Sat, Jan. 31, 1948, and
you're reading about something that happens a month and a half in the
FUTURE.  Bitchin'.  It's science fiction.
 
In the Glass world, Buddy says in 1959 that he wrote "Bananafish" a
couple of months after Seymour died...which would have been May, 1948. 
In May, 1948, Buddy would have been 29 years old.  Seymour would have
been 31.
 
Follow this now!  
 
In the Glass world, Buddy says in 1959 that his 1955 story (Raise High)
is an account of Seymour's 1942 wedding.  On that day in 1942, Buddy was
23, and Seymour was 25.
 
We all know that Buddy says in 1959 that he is 40 years old.  1948 is
11 years ago.  That would make Buddy 29 years old in 1948.  6 years
prior to 1948, Buddy (age 23) is at Seymour's wedding.  NICE.
 
In Glass world, 1948, Seymour (38 years old) and Muriel were married in
1942.  They are on a vacation of some sorts.  Muriel has waited for him
while he was in the war.  War ends in 1945, seems like he's freshly
back?  Where's Seargent X been for 3 years?  Is this whole
Buddy/Salinger thing a product of Salinger not knowing if he was Buddy
or Seymour?
 
In 1951, Buddy writes his long long letter to Zooey.
 
Seymour born 1917, dies Thursday, March 18, 1948 (where in HELL does it
say S. dies on March 19?)
Buddy born 1919.
Walt & Waker born 1923.
Boo Boo born 1921.
Zooey born 1930.
Franny born 1934.
 
Real world, 1955, in the story "Franny" - in the Glass world it is also
1955.  Zooey is 25.  Franny is 21.  Buddy (and guess who else) is 36. 
Seymour died at age 38 seven years ago.
 
Real world, 1955, in the story "Raise High The Roof Beams" - in the
Glass world it is still also 1955.  Buddy tells about how, in 1934, when
he was 17 years old, Seymour (19 years old at the time, and halfway to
his death) told newborn Franny the Taoist tale of Duke Mu and Po Lo.  He
also, of course, tells of Seymour's wedding day in 1942.  On Seymour's
wedding day in 1942, Buddy is 23, and Seymour is 25 (with only 13 years
left to his life).  Seymour was married to Muriel for 13 years.
 
TWO YEARS IN THE REAL WORLD PASS, 0 years in the Glass world pass.
 
Real world, 1957, in the story "Zooey" - in the Glass world, Zooey's in
a bathtub and it is still 1955, and Buddy is 36 years old. 
Salinger/Buddy wrote the story "Zooey", and he would have been 38 in
1957...the same age Seymour was when he died.  BANANAFISH IN THE FUTURE,
NOW ZOOEY IN THE PAST.
 
What is going on in the Glass world in 1956?  1957?  1958?  How about
the Real world?  Anybody?
 
Real world, 1959, in the story "Seymour An Introduction" - it is 1959,
Buddy says he is 40.  Everyone is 4 years older than they were in
"Franny", "Raise High" & "Zooey."
 
Seymour died at age 38 eleven years ago.
 

 
6 years later, in the Real world, Friday, May 28, 1965, in the story
"Hapworth 16, 1924" - Buddy/Salinger is 46 years old.  (Buddy types up
Seymour's letter in 4 hours?  Can anyone else type Hapworth in 4 hours? 
What's the word count on that sucker?  I'm betting it took Salinger 4
hours to write.)
 
Seymour died 17 years ago.  (And you thought he spent a long time in
CAULFIELD world!)  Seymour would have been 48.
 
The story is a letter from Seymour, 1924, from Camp Hapworth when he
was 7.  Buddy was 5.  Seymour won't be dead for another 24 years.
 
24 years is about how long Salinger had been writing, yes?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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