Nine Stories Essay

For many people, the world is made up of many different components of personality. In Salingers book Nine Stories one of them is superficiality. This is something that in society is different for each person depending on how they are influenced by it. Salinger tries to show the reader in A Perfect Day for Banana Fish, Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut, and For Esme-with Love and Squalor that superficiality and materialism affect everyone everyday, but that it shouldnt control how someone lives.

There are many different ways one can be influenced by society and materialism. In the story A Perfect Day for Banana Fish the reader is shown how a characters surroundings impact the way they live their own lives. First Salinger introduces the character Muriel. A young attractive upper-class female who bases her life on judging those she feels are beneath her. However during a phone call the reader is introduced to Muriels mother who turns out to be just like her. Soon its easy to realize that Muriel was bred for a materialistic outlook on life. In this story Salinger was probably trying to show that people can be influenced not only by society but by how they were brought up and raised. In the story this point is backed up when the reader is introduced to a child named Sybil and her mom. Just by Sybils description one can already see that she is destined for the same sad fate as Muriel. The story explains that Sybil is dressed in a yellow bikini, one piece of which she would not actually be needing for another nine or ten years (pg.10). This tells the reader that materialism is so important in some peoples eyes that they dont even care if their actions are inappropriate for the time and place. It also informs people that many people are influenced this way.

One reason someone might be superficial is because of the experiences theyve had in their lives. In Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut the reader can see that later in life you can also become superficial and that you are never immune to it. The character Eloise, a mother in this story can be defined as superficial by her actions. In the story she is described as sad, uncaring and neglectful to her daughter Ramona. It can seem at times that Eloise is more interested with her alcoholic drink and her friend Mary Jane, than paying attention to her own child. She also has a cold side to her when talking to her husband Lew and when Mary Jane says she should be leaving she says Youre gonna stick around till Im sick of you. The hell with your lousy career(pg.22). This shows she only care about herself. Later in the story during her discussion with Mary Jane she reveals that she used to have a boyfriend named Walt. She explains that he went to war and died, however it was an accident that happened while moving a stove. The loss of Walt seems to have a negative affect on Eloises life because she says in the story that she wasnt always they way she is now. What Salinger is trying to say in this story is that unlike Muriel in the previous one Eloise was influenced by loss and chose to take this other path of superficiality. At the end of the story Eloise is able to see that she has become someone influenced by her surroundings and puts the glasses back on the night table, lenses down (pg.37). This is a sign that maybe Eloise will change her ways and become the person she used to be. The message here is that even though someone can be superficial it doesnt mean they have to stay that way forever.

Salinger also points out in For Esme-with Love and Squalor that though some people can be materialistic, others are wrongly labeled as it as well. The character Esme an adolescent, very mature for her age is introduced at the beginning as what can come off to be judgmental and conceited. However as the story goes on it explains in more depth, reasons why she comes off this way. One might see her as judgmental because prior to meeting the narrator she thought that all Americans were foolish, though this could just be effect of seeing not many Americans in a serious situation. Esme might also come off as being conceited because she is always fixing her hair, which might make it seem as though she always worries about her appearance. However, it might just because shes trying to proper and polite. So at first Esme can be wrongly labeled by the reader as superficial even though her coldness is only because the loss of her parents. She is the exact opposite of superficial because when asked her name she says, I dont think I should tell you my full name, for the moment. I have a title and you may just be impressed by titles (pg.96). If she were superficial she would have said her last name to make herself superior have ever shed rather be modest. In this story however there is a superficial character. Later on the reader meets Clay/ Corporal Z a man whose in the war, but is very rude and smokes. Salinger creates Clay as a superficial character by describing that Clay wears, five bronze battle stars (instead of a lone silver one the equivalent of the five bronze (pg.107). This shows that even while in war he still cares what those around him think.

In todays world everybody has a little superficiality or materialism in them. However people contain a different amount based on their own personal experiences. Through these stories Salinger is trying to get across to the reader that this trait shouldnt consume peoples lives. Instead someone should be happy with what they have. One of the famous sayings goes look at your glass half full, not empty. Dont take what were given for granted.