A Perfect Day for Bananafish

"A Perfect Day for Bananafish" is a short story by J. D. Salinger, originally published in the January 31, 1948 issue of "The New Yorker". It was anthologized in 1949's "55 Short Stories from the New Yorker" as well as in Salinger's 1953 collection, "Nine Stories". It is the first of Salinger's stories to feature the fictional Glass family; following Seymour Glass and his wife on a second honeymoon, in Florida.

The story, which was originally titled "A Fine Day for Bananafish,"cite book |last=Alexander |first=Paul |authorlink= |title=Salinger: A Biography |year=1999 |publisher=Renaissance |location=Los Angeles |id=ISBN 1-58063-080-4 p. 124.] was an important one in Salinger's career. The August "New Yorker", which at the time had only published one of Salinger's stories, accepted "Bananafish" for publication immediately and, because of its "singular quality," signed the author to a contract giving them right of first refusal on any future short stories.cite book |last=Alexander |first=Paul |authorlink= |title=Salinger: A Biography |year=1999 |publisher=Renaissance |location=Los Angeles |id=ISBN 1-58063-080-4 p. 124.] Upon its publication, "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" was met with immediate acclaim; according to Salinger biographer Paul Alexander, it was "the story that would permanently change his standing in the literary community."cite book |last=Alexander |first=Paul |authorlink= |title=Salinger: A Biography |year=1999 |publisher=Renaissance |location=Los Angeles |id=ISBN 1-58063-080-4 p. 124.]

Plot summary

"A Perfect Day for Bananafish" is widely praised for its depiction of the shell-shocked Seymour and his failure to conform to postwar life.

It details a day spent on the beach by Seymour Glass as his wife, Muriel, spends her time in a hotel room talking to her mother about the divergently interesting topics of clothing and Seymour's post-traumatic stress disorder. While on the beach, Seymour tells a story of the bananafish to a young girl named Sybil. Upon returning to the room occupied by his sleeping wife, he fires a bullet from a Ortgies calibre 7.65 automatic through his right temple.

In the story, Salinger points out personality and mood (here, depression) as independent of one another. The ending has been much-discussed and analyzed; the short story "May Day", by F. Scott Fitzgerald, has a similar ending. The reader is made to think how destructive undercurrents can exist in an outwardly upbeat personality. The "Perfect Day" of the title may be seen as a perfect day for a last revel before succumbing to pain.

In "Seymour -- An Introduction", a meditation written by the fictional character, Buddy Glass, on his brother, Seymour, Buddy claims authorship of this story, as well as stating that in his family's opinion the main character of "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" describes him rather than his brother Seymour.

Related works

Other Glass Family stories include:
*"Franny"
*"Zooey"
*"Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters"
*""
*"Hapworth 16, 1924"
*"Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut"
*"Down at the Dinghy"
*"For Esme - with Love and Squalor"

References