Franny and Zooey discussion

So this sounds a bit dumb, but, uh, what did J.D Salinger mean in the novella Zooey, by "I say that my current offering isn't a mystical story, or a religiously mystifying story, at all. I say It's compound or multiple, love story, pure and complicated."

The love is between brother and sister, but I do see it as having a religiously mystical message, even though that message is to express yourself in this world.

I thought it'd be a love/sister thing, but why MULTIPLE love story?

Mariem wrote: "I thought it'd be a love/sister thing, but why MULTIPLE love story?"

Brother/sister*

Incestual? Where'd you get that?

Oh please. Brothers and sisters are close. Genetically speaking, our siblings are the people in the world most like ourselves, and they go through childhood with you, and know all your important phases of life and secrets. Incest? I just don't buy it.

But siblings are always close in Salinger's work. Holden had a breakdown because of the loss of his brother, and the person he loved most in the world was Hazel.

Also, read Raise High the Roof Beams, Carpenters, and you'll see just how close the Glass family is supposed to have been and how traumatized by Seymour's death.

Mariem wrote: "So this sounds a bit dumb, but, uh, what did J.D Salinger mean in the novella Zooey, by "I say that my current offering isn't a mystical story, or a religiously mystifying story, at all. I say It's..."

I have always felt the multiple/complicated part is just that the family so deeply misses their brother Seymour. They are loving a ghost. I agree about the closeness of siblings too - Franny and Zooey had the same childhoods - rather strange and special ones - their family bond and sibling bond is very tight. The being pregnant part I had heard before but never that it was by her brother. I don't get that from the book at all but interesting theory.

hirtho wrote: "And why these two stories published together?"

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but after J.D. Salinger went into seclusion, he is said to have written about the Glass family every day for the rest of his life. There's a documentary film out about this now. He considered the Glass family his life's work, much more than The Catcher in The Rye. Raise High the Roof Beams, Carpenters, which is published alongside Seymour, A Portrait is also all about the Glass family. The message of Seymour is pretty much what Zooey told Franny in Seymour's name at the end of this book.

I have always seen Franny's crisis as a spiritual one (as was the one that lead to Seymour's death in Bananafish). I also think we can take Buddy/Salinger at his word that this isn't a mystical or religiously mystifying story. Buddhism has always sat (cross-legged?) at the heart of Salinger's Glass stories, and Buddhism - okay, some Buddhism - considers itself to be neither mystical nor a religion at all.
There is no God; there is no mystery. The answer to Zooey's spiritual crisis, the Christ-answer she's been seeking, is the Fat Lady (i.e. other people, i.e. the life you're already living).

And, imho, looking at Franny's crisis being about a pregnancy - whether the result of incest or simple intercourse with dear old Lance - just turns the story into soap opera. And if the story is about incest, then pairing it with the Zooey story just makes no sense, neither narratively nor emotionally nor logically (nor spiritually, for that matter).

The answer to Zooey's spiritual crisis, the Christ-answer she's been seeking, is the Fat Lady (i.e. other people, i.e. the life you're already living).

See, now, I thought that the answer was acting, i.e. doing your best creative work, and the audience was the Fat Lady.

Sibling love can be complicated without being incestuous. While I could see someone getting those kinds of vibes from this story (maybe even intentionally on Salinger's part), I think it just serves to underscore how unlike everyone else the Glass children are, and how they can only form true, unfettered connections with one another.