DQ 11 - "For Esmé with Love and Squalor", "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" and "Teddy"
Hi all,
DQ 11 is on these last three short stories. Thanks for a good discussion today. Tomorrow will be similar as today, but we'll also go over NYU Press' Keywords' Web Essays at http://keywords.nyupress.org/american-cultural-studies/ which could be useful for your problem statements.
Just a reminder: The problem statement is now 800 words due Friday too Turn It In in our Bb assignments tab, and the first draft of 1,200 is due Tuesday at 7. Wednesday through Monday we'll have conferences.
Also: If you have some extra time after reading these Salinger stories, Pinter's Mountain Language and then one day after, No Man's Land will be next.
DQ 11 is on these last three short stories. Thanks for a good discussion today. Tomorrow will be similar as today, but we'll also go over NYU Press' Keywords' Web Essays at http://keywords.nyupress.org/american-cultural-studies/ which could be useful for your problem statements.
Just a reminder: The problem statement is now 800 words due Friday too Turn It In in our Bb assignments tab, and the first draft of 1,200 is due Tuesday at 7. Wednesday through Monday we'll have conferences.
Also: If you have some extra time after reading these Salinger stories, Pinter's Mountain Language and then one day after, No Man's Land will be next.
Isaac Bendus
ReplyDelete7/19/27
While reading "For Esmé - with Love and Squalor" by J.D. Salinger, the writing reminded me of "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut" in that both texts seem to be just normal conversations between regular people. The Documentary yesterday in class said this was Salinger’s style. Why do you think he wrote like this?
My second questions are also on "For Esmé - with Love and Squalor" by J.D. Salinger, while watching the documentary on Salinger yesterday in class mentioned that Salinger was in the army and fought in Normandy, France during D-Day. Is this story based upon real events that happened in Salinger’s life? Did he really meet an Esmé in a restaurant?
Sean Butler
ReplyDeleteWhile reading "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" I began to question why Author was so worried about his wife not coming home if its what she is known to do. Maybe this relates to his life when his wife left him as we saw in the documentary during class today.
Also, why would Salinger write about something deceptive like this? It seems as if he unveils something to the audience late in the story rather than early. Could he of possibly had a similar experience or is this just one of his trends he likes to use in his writing?
Julia Weisberg
ReplyDelete7-19-17
The first question I have is from “For Esme with Love and Squalor”. The characters in this story are young and well represent the people of the time. I am wondering how did Salinger want the youth to be depicted in his story? Is there a specific statement that he is trying to make?
The next question I have is about “Teddy”. I am wondering if there is a specific reason that Salinger put this story at the end? What does it leave the reader with and does it have any specific significance that would make him leave this story for last?
Kylie Simmons
ReplyDeleteJuly 19, 2017
After reading "For Esme-with love and squalor" I am left with many questions. The first one being why Salinger never gives a name to the man referred to as "Sergeant X" throughout the story? His real name was never mentioned, and I am curious as to why. Even Esme doesn't know his real name. Why?
My second question is why Esme seems so trusting of this man she meets for the first time? She seems completely comfortable and open around him. Do you think it is because she is looking at him as a father figure due to the death of her own father?
July 19th, 2017
ReplyDeleteMy first question is about the story “Teddy” and how it ended. It is very similar to the ending of “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”. Although, in “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” it was very clear what happened at the end, but in “Teddy” I am confused what Salinger wants the reader to think at the end. The only thing he lets us know is that a young girl was screaming. This left me wondering what happened and who was the girl screaming? Could it be Teddy who screamed even though Salinger said it was a “young girl”.
My second question is about “Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes”. After reading it I realized how often the word, “Christ” is said throughout the story, could this be significant? Could the word be mentioned a lot because Salinger was religious?
Tyler Crane
ReplyDeleteJuly 19th, 2017
After reading “For Esmé - with Love and Squalor” I noticed a lot of similarities between it and the video we watched in class today. At the beginning of the short story the narrator comments on his experience at D Day and even states he brought “a canvas gas-mask container full of books”. This reminds me of how the documentary mentioned Salinger bringing pages of the catcher in the rye to battle. Are there other parallels between Salinger and the narrator?
What prompted the narrator to leave Esme in the tea shop? I might have just missed this, but I felt like they were having a nice conversation and then they stopped. What was the reason for this?
Parker Mealey
ReplyDeletejuly 19
1. The very first thing I noticed while reading JD Salingers "Pretty mouth and green my eyes" was the extreme amount of descriptive detail included in the first paragraph. Is this just typical for Salingers style? Or is the amount of detail necessary, and will it be important later on in the story?
2. Towards the end of the story, Arthur states that he wrote a poem for his wife when they first met, "Rose my color is. and white, Pretty mouth and green my eyes." He later states that her eyes aren't even green, but like "Sea Shells." What is Salinger trying to say here, and is it significant or representative of Arthur and his wife's relationship?
I'm aware you probably can't answer this question factually because of the life Mr. Salinger lived, but do you think the story "For Esme with Love and Squalor" relates to Mr. Salinger's life while he was on the army? In "Pretty Mouth and Green my Eyes" why does the reader never learn the name of the narrator? Is there significance in the reader never knowing the grey haired mans name? The way Teddy speaks of reincarnation do you think he will ever try to stop his death from happening?
ReplyDeleteCarolyn Collins
ReplyDeleteJuly 19, 2017
In J.D. Salinger’s “For Esme with Love and Squalor”, Sergeant X notices how big Esme’s watch was for her wrist when they first meet. Esme later explains that the watch belonged to her father. If this was her only memento of her deceased father, why did Esme end up giving her watch to Sergeant X? Is it because she views him as a father figure?
In the story “Teddy”, Teddy sees that orange peels were dumped into the ocean. He then says that if he wasn’t there to see them, then the orange peels wouldn’t have existed at all. With this concept in mind, did Teddy actually die if Nicholson wasn’t there to witness it?
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ReplyDeleteWhile reading “For Esmé with Love and Squalor" by J.D. Salinger, I was confused in some instances. First off, I could understand why he went into the church in the beginning. He knew there was choir rehearsal. Did he go just to listen, or is there a bigger reason as to why?
ReplyDeleteMy second question is from the same short story by J.D. Salinger. At one point of the story, Salinger changes the narration from first person to third person. He could have done this change in narration for many reasons, but I am not sure why. Did he do this so that we could focus more on specific events or ideas?
After reading "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" I was left with questions regarding the setting. The short story jumps in to the plot without giving much information on the characters. Who they are, their background, and what they do. Why is this information discluded from the text? Would it not be helpful to have some kind of background information on the characters? I feel this would provide valuable context to the court case Arthur was working on.
ReplyDeleteIn the short story "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes," the primary conflict lies in Arthur's mistrust for his wife. He believes that because she is gone he must be cheating on him. He becomes paranoid and anxious, going so far to say that he should have divorced her when he had the chance. In the end she was only spending a night out with a friend who needed her emotional support, showing that his contempt was misdirected. Is this indicative of most peoples instinct to think of worst case scenario? Does the ending serve to show that most situations are never as bad as they seem?
While reading "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes," I'm left with only one question, who is the girl
ReplyDelete? This is confusing because of the call back from Arthur. Would he lie? Do you think he would lie because he feels bad for Lee and he wants him not to worry?
My second question I have is why is Arthur so concerned about not knowing where Joanie is and do you think Joanie is with Lee?
Karina Amalbert
ReplyDeleteAfter reading “Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes” I honestly felt as though I had personally hung up on the friend after the entire conversation too. The story was in a sense relatable as we all have that one friend who calls and talks for hours about nonsense. As being this story was written years ago I find it ironic how this situation could occur present day. As a society have we changed? Or have we remained stuck in a doubtful mindset?
Another question I had dealt with Joanie as a wife. Since we have very limited information as to how she is as a person, or wife, what was the purpose of keeping her out of the dialogue? Was this Salinger wanting the audience to create their own conclusions like before with the other short stories?
Kevin Clifford
ReplyDelete7/19/17
1. My first Question is from "For Esme’ with Love and Squaler", and has to do with the conversation between the soldier and Esme’. How did she automatically assume the man sitting in the little coffee/tea shop was an American? Was he wearing a soldier uniform or was it that obvious?
2. My second question from this short story is about how upfront this girl is when talking to the soldier. She is asking very personal questions, is it because she is young and knows she can get away with it, or were a lot of women during this time that upfront with strangers? It seemed almost borderline rude how she had very little respect for Americans, considering she was flirting with an American man.
Daniella Alamo
ReplyDeleteIn the story " Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" by J.D. Silinger, towards the middle of the phone conversation between Arthur and lee a lawsuit case is brought up. It is said that Arthur lost the case. Why is this significant? Is this the reason why his extra upset over Joanie being missing?
In the story "For Esmé - with Love and Squalor" by J.D. Salinger, there is a character named Sargeant X. The name seems very mysterious and we are never told his real name. Why does Salinger keep him so secretive? What is the significance of us never finding out his name?
7/20 DQ 11: Carmen mills
ReplyDelete1. After reading “For Esmé – With Love and Squalor” I analyzed the part of the story where Esmé cgives Sergeant X the watch her father had given her; the watch being a sign of hope, could it be that Esmé is the only one that can connect and understand the conditions that Sergeant X is going through (PTSD) since her father had passed away in war as well?
2. My other question is also from the same test, I wondered if there was significance behind the Sergeant getting sleepy when reading Esmé’s letter. Since the Sergeant was having a hard time expressing himself and showing his true emotions when he tried to write in the book (explained when his writing was illegible), before he had to chance to connect with Esmé (his new source of hope), is it possible that the sleepiness he begins to feel is the first signs of his recovery as he seems to be forgetting his situation and circumstances?
after tonight's reading my first question is about '' for Esme- with love and squalor''; after reading the first couple pages I was curious to find out why the soldier decided to go listen to the children's choir. I found it to be a little odd for a grown man to go and listen to a bunch of little boys and girls sing....
ReplyDeletemy second question is in regards to the same story, why does this solider character observe the little girl in the coffee shop so intimately and why does he describe a 13 year old as '' beautiful'' and use other disturbing words? is it because he's a possible pervert or is the girl going to play a role later in the story and the author is juts trying to give the audience a nice description ?
Ethan Vaughan 7/19
ReplyDelete1. The one main question I had while reading "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" is if the girl that is with Lee is Joanie? The story is not very clear on if that is this case or not and Lee even contemplates letting Arthur come over while the girl is with him.
2. What type of person is Arthur? He is worried by his wife being gone and has suspected that she is sleeping around yet he still says positive things about her on the phone with Lee. What does this say about him? Is he vulnerable because he just lost a large case in court?
Isabeau Cordes
ReplyDelete07/19/17
1.Overall in all of the Salinger short stories we have read, the writing style seems to be very dialogue based, and as the Salinger documentary said “very human”. This reminded me somewhat of Hemingway’s writing style. Do you think Hemingway, or anyone else, was an inspiration for Salinger? Or was this style truly original to Salinger?
2.In “For Esme with Love and Squalor” I didn’t completely understand the significance of the watch. What does it symbolize or mean at the end of the story?
Alexandra Liggett
ReplyDelete7-19-17
1) As I was reading "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" by Salinger, I noticed the words "Christ" and "Cigarette" were repeated frequently throughout the story. Did Salinger do this intentionally? What is the significance of this?
2) After reading "For Esme with Love and Squalor", I was thinking about the impact stranger's have on one another's lives. Did meeting Esme at the diner affect X once he was in the war?
My fist question is in "For Esme:--with Love and Squalor" were the injuries that afflicted the narrator in the end of the story physical or mental, because they obviously got better by the beginning of the story/letter where the narrator starts by telling why he cannot attend the wedding.
ReplyDeletealso in "For Esme:--with Love and Squalor" the narrator calls himself "Sergeant X" in the end part of the letter, why does he do this, is it because he was not truly himself during that period of his life, and is that why he also writes this part in third person.
Kylie Rodriguez
ReplyDeleteJuly 19, 2017
While reading "For Esme with Love and Squalor", why was music talked about so in depth for a paragraph, did it have any symbolism in it or was it just because Salinger was just explaining the details?
My second question is also about that story. Was Sargent Xs disregard for life noted by the tossing of his gas mask and comment about lighting only striking if it had your number, a way of showering that life has a way of changing so it is important to value the one you have. However does this dissatisfaction with life represent the overall mood soldiers had at this point in the war? Meaning is Sargent X misfortune a lesson to be learned or merely a tail of the time?
Anthony Duarte
ReplyDeleteJuly 19, 2017
As I was reading “For Esmé - with Love and Squalor” by J.D. Salinger I began to wonder why Esmé was so quick to trust “Sergeant X” even without knowing him for so long or knowing his actual name? Was it because he reminded her of a father figure so she was not as skeptical of him?
Another question that came to mind as I was reading this was that the experiences seemed familiar to what Salinger went through during that war. Do you think he is inputting personal experiences into the story as Hemingway did with “The Sun Also Rises”?
In "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes," by Salinger, he again refers to the girl in the story as "the girl." He never gives her a name and he did this in a "Perfect Day for Bananafish." The girl reoccurs throughout the whole story so I'm just curious as to why he never decided to give her a name. Why does Salinger do this?
ReplyDeleteAt the end of "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes," the "gray-haired man," Lee, changes moods very quickly. He was one second willing to put up with his drunk friend complain about his marriage but in the second call he cuts his friend, Arthur, off short saying he has a headache. Then he has an attitude or that is what I gathered when the girl tries to pick up the burning cigarette off of him. What made his mood change all of a sudden like that?
Keagan Giblin
ReplyDeleteJuly 19, 2017
In J.D. Salinger’s "For Esmé—with Love and Squalor” to what extent do you think that Sergeant X and Esmé have a similar relationship to Seymour and Sybil in Salinger’s “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”? Both soldiers find interest in the young minds, however, Esmé helped Sergeant X fight his depression while Seymour even with Sybil’s influence let his depression get the best of him. Is there a connect between these two relationships at all?
In “Teddy” J.D. Salinger leaves the ending very open ended. By the way that he describes the scream being “all-piercing, sustained scream” and “highly acoustical, as though it were reverberating within the four tiled walls” seems to me that it is definitely a scream that is given out of being horrified. Do you think that this scream is coming from Booper as she realizes she pushed her brother Teddy into the pool that was empty and now he is dead?
The way Teddy reacted to the orange peels being dumped out of the porthole caught my attention: "I don't mean it's interesting that they float," Teddy said. "It's interesting that I know about them being there. If I hadn't seen them, then I wouldn't know they were there, and if I didn't know they were there, I wouldn't be able to say that they even exist."
ReplyDeleteDo you think this reflects the young boys ability to think about 'the bigger picture'?
Furthermore, why do you all think the people around Teddy treat him as if he is inferior to them? He definitely is capable of thinking higher level thoughts.
DeleteLauren Fiorito
ReplyDeleteJuly 19, 2017
In “Pretty Mouth and Green Eyes” by Salinger, why was Arthur so adamant about telling the gray haired man that he couldn’t trust Joanie? He couldn’t stop talking about her and I was wondering what that was about.
I feel like the whole story is tedious because it is hard to follow from all the cut offs in the story and the back and forth conversation. So, when Salinger was writing this, what was his inspiration? Do you think he wrote the love of his life that left him the poem that was mentioned in the story, and that’s why he was “embarrassed”?