Post by Jeff on Apr 7, 2021 13:13:39 GMT -5
I've been revisiting TTOTC as Fenn told us to and Jack reiterated for us. I'm not an English major, as Jack had suggested may be helpful. Here are some of my thoughts about Salinger and Fenn. I'm still digging. TTOTC is fascinating. What are your thoughts?
In Important Literature, Fenn discovers The Catcher in the Rye and identifies with the eccentric nature of its protagonist and its author. The Catcher in the Rye deals with the idealized innocence of youth contrasted with the hypocrisy of adults—"phony" being the oft-used term in that book. This exploration of youth and youth on the border with adulthood is similar to the first portion of TTOTC (First Grade through Buffalo Cowboys and into My War for Me). There is a striking juxtaposition of the elder Fenn as an enlightened being—the grand revelations of life’s purpose found in the book’s later chapters—and the elder Fenn in Important Literature as an insecure, self-centered, and judgemental person, reminiscent of The Catcher in the Rye protagonist Holden Caulfield. This mimicking, which extends into the first portion of TTOTC with some parallels in writing style, reinforces Fenn’s stated identification with Salinger and his character Holden.
Fenn overtly tells us that The Catcher in the Rye "was about [him]" and was "[his] very own story line" (p.13) and that in writing TTOTC he would "finish [that] book, or at least add on to it" (p.14).
That youth and, in particular, a youthful exploration of the world is highly valued by Fenn is clear by his choice of The Catcher in the Rye. After visiting "Borders" bookstore (also written as "Border’s") and reading The Catcher in the Rye, Fenn throws the book in the trash and it lands on "Time Magazine" before he retrieves it (p.9-14). The phrase "catcher in the rye" derives from Salinger’s protagonist’s imagined role of protecting innocent children from falling over a cliff into the insincere, or "phoney," world of adults. Therefore, it is appropriate that Fenn bought the book at "Borders," if we regard the Salinger’s cliff as the border between childhood and adulthood—here Fenn unambiguously introduces the border motif within TTOTC. The book lands on "Time Magazine" (emphasis added) in the trash can, which is an image of both falling off the cliff and growing up through the passage of time; further supporting the notion of the passage of time, Fenn noted that he needed "some time to think" (emphasis added) after reading the book (p.14). That Fenn pulls the book out of the trash can is reminiscent of being a "catcher in the rye." By creating this memoir with its major messages and the associated treasure hunt, Fenn is acting as a "catcher in the rye"—encouraging people to maintain an active exploration of the world, as would a child at play.
Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around—nobody big, I mean—except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. —J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (Chapter 22)
(Aside: with the above in mind, anyone have any thoughts on meadowlark "meadow" "lark" vs. scissortail?)
Fenn expands the ideas of the last paragraph in another direction wherein Fenn is not only a "catcher" for his audience but he is also a "catcher" for himself. Death and, in particular, remembrance after death is a major theme of TTOTC. In addition to Salinger's meaning of the phrase "catcher in the rye," Fenn expands it to mean the border between life and death. He describes wishing for more time—"somehow that year could be rebated" (p.100) in My War for Me, the muddled proverb "God subtracts from the allotted time of man, those hours spend fishing" (p.125) in Flywater, and "what I seemed to lack in time remaining was conspicuously exceeded by my sudden desire for more of it" (p.129) in Gold and More—and feels that death will occur "before too long" (p.15). Additionally, he muses on his intent to "finish the book, or at least add on to it," referring to The Catcher in the Rye, and then "started to think what to say" (p.14). Retrieving The Catcher in the Rye from the top of "Time Magazine" in the trash can—where we may toss the "leftovers"—and noting that he needed "some time to think," this becomes an image of falling off the cliff between life and death but, having been caught, he was given some time to write his memoir. Supporting this interpretation, Fenn’s two near-death experiences key to TTOTC—getting shot down in during the Vietnam War and having come down with kidney cancer—led him to the epiphanies that form the major messages of the book—that is, because he was near death but ultimately lived he allowed him that "time to think." Fenn parachuting into "uncertain environment" (p.83) in Laos was an instance of falling off the cliff; his subsequent "cable ride up" was the catch (p.90). Similarly, when Fenn "finally hit bottom" (p.129) and was "really down at the bottom" (p.13) after his cancer diagnosis, this was another fall down and his "team" (p.142)—wife Peggy, daughters Kelly and Zoe, and surgeon Taylor—provided the catch.
Fenn expands the ideas of the last paragraph in another direction wherein Fenn is not only a "catcher" for his audience but he is also a "catcher" for himself. Death and, in particular, remembrance after death is a major theme of TTOTC. In addition to Salinger's meaning of the phrase "catcher in the rye," Fenn expands it to mean the border between life and death. He describes wishing for more time—"somehow that year could be rebated" (p.100) in My War for Me, the muddled proverb "God subtracts from the allotted time of man, those hours spend fishing" (p.125) in Flywater, and "what I seemed to lack in time remaining was conspicuously exceeded by my sudden desire for more of it" (p.129) in Gold and More—and feels that death will occur "before too long" (p.15). Additionally, he muses on his intent to "finish the book, or at least add on to it," referring to The Catcher in the Rye, and then "started to think what to say" (p.14). Retrieving The Catcher in the Rye from the top of "Time Magazine" in the trash can—where we may toss the "leftovers"—and noting that he needed "some time to think," this becomes an image of falling off the cliff between life and death but, having been caught, he was given some time to write his memoir. Supporting this interpretation, Fenn’s two near-death experiences key to TTOTC—getting shot down in during the Vietnam War and having come down with kidney cancer—led him to the epiphanies that form the major messages of the book—that is, because he was near death but ultimately lived he allowed him that "time to think." Fenn parachuting into "uncertain environment" (p.83) in Laos was an instance of falling off the cliff; his subsequent "cable ride up" was the catch (p.90). Similarly, when Fenn "finally hit bottom" (p.129) and was "really down at the bottom" (p.13) after his cancer diagnosis, this was another fall down and his "team" (p.142)—wife Peggy, daughters Kelly and Zoe, and surgeon Taylor—provided the catch.
In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield initially imagines himself as preventing innocent children playing in a rye field from falling off a cliff into the inauthentic world of adults. In the penultimate scene, reflective of some personal growth on Holden’s part, he revises his imaginary role. A carousel takes the place of the rye field and the drop off the edge of the carousel platform takes place of the cliff. While riding the carousel, children can reach out for a gold-colored metal ring hung on a pole outside its perimeter—this was a feature of some historical carousels. Children could win a prize by catching the gold-colored metal ring; however, in attempting to catch it they risk falling off the carousel’s platform. In a departure of the carousel scene from the rye field scene, Holden accepts the possibility that the children may fall off while reaching for the gold-colored ring. That is, Holden accepts that change—growth and maturity—and pain—the falls that may be associated with change—are a part of living.
"Go ahead, then—I'll be on this bench right over here. I'll watch ya." I went over and sat down on this bench, and she went and got on the carousel. She walked all around it. I mean she walked once all the way around it. Then she sat down on this big, brown, beat-up-looking old horse. Then the carousel started, and I watched her go around and around. There were only about five or six other kids on the ride, and the song the carousel was playing was 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.' It was playing it very jazzy and funny. All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she'd fall off the goddam horse, but I didn't say anything or do anything. The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them. —J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (Chapter 25)
The carousel from The Catcher in the Rye is a direct metaphor for the principal motifs found within the first portion of TTOTC: circle, partnership, border, jumping (and/or falling), spanking, and reversal. Fenn does not simply reiterate Salinger’s scene but expands on its meaning—"finish[ing] [that book, or at least add[ing] on to it" (p.14). That children are reaching for a "golden ring" in this penultimate chapter of The Catcher in the Rye provides a quite literal connection to the treasure hunt within TTOTC. Fenn uses the circle motif to represent an area of comfort and safety—home, if you will, or "the small cocoon of our own surroundings” (p.98); this is in direct parallel to Salinger’s carousel symbol. Fenn’s circle motif also encompasses the partnership motif; in his conception, relationships form part of the comfort and safety of home, or, completing the quote above, "the small cocoon of our own surroundings and a few friends and places" (p.98). Fenn uses the eye symbol—a circle of sorts—to connect these two motifs. The wordplay could very well be "I" to "pi." Fenn uses the border motif to represent the boundary between the circle of comfort and safety and the potentially dangerous world beyond—the walls of the home, if you will; this is in direct parallel to Salinger’s platform edge in his carousel symbol. Fenn uses the jumping motif to represent the movement beyond the circle of safety and comfort—beyond home, if you will. This is where personal growth occurs, which is the reward; this is in direct parallel to Salinger’s children reaching for the golden ring. Fenn uses the spanking motif to represent the danger that movement beyond the circle of safety and comfort can bring. This spanking is part of the personal growth process. This is in direct parallel to Salinger’s children falling off the carousel while reaching for the golden ring. Fenn uses the reversal motif to represent a return to the comfort and safety of home. This return home sometimes requires the assistance of others in the circle—assistance from our team. This is in direct parallel to Salinger’s conception of being a "catcher in the rye." It does not have a strict parallel to Salinger’s carousel symbol; this is perhaps part of where Fenn has "add[ed] on to" Salinger’s book (p.14).
Fenn synthesizes all of the above, repeated over and over again in the stories throughout the first portion of TTOTC, in the two mystical experiences and their related epiphanies that he relates toward the conclusion of My War for Me. It is here that Fenn completes his moral education and the book transitions to a series of morality tales and a new set of principal motifs.
With the idea that Fenn is Salinger's Holden Caulfield reincarnate, consider two points. First, we are told several times about a discarded 10th poem clue: abandoning his car at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS). Holden meets his sister Phoebe at a museum with mummies and tombs, as can be found at the DMNS, before they go to the carousel. Second, given the name motif in the first portion of TTOTC, if you believe in the idea that Holden Caulfield means "hold on to the caul (amniotic) field (region/sac)" then should we pay more attention to Fenn's name: a forest fen (swamp)? After all, it is not a far corruption of "Gold and More" to "gold in moor" or "golden moor" (moor = swampy = fen-like).
Thanks for listening. Curious what you think!
