1. Salinger’s Short Stories and “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”

2. Salinger’s Short Stories
Wrote and published thirty-five short stories during his lifetime
Most of these were published in magazines; only thirteen were anthologized in books
The Catcher in the Rye was originally a short story titled “Slight Rebellion Off Madison,” accepted by The New Yorker, but never published due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor (the magazine felt it might be inappropriate for the time)

3. “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”
According to Salinger biographer Paul Alexander, it was “the story that would permanently change his standing in the literary community” – catapulted Salinger into literary stardom
First published in The New Yorker in 1948, after almost a year of editing and revising with the guidance of editors at The New Yorker
Focuses on a member of the Glass family, Seymour Glass, who has returned from service in World War II and is on his honeymoon

4. Take fifteen minutes to read “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” on your own.

5. Vocabulary Lacquer: n. nail polish Oblique: adj. slanting
Mink: adj. brown, such as the color of a mink
Prone: adj. lying flat, especially face downward
Snub: v. to rebuff or ignore
Cumbersome: adj. large or heavy and therefore difficult to carry or use; unwieldy
Display while students are reading to support their understanding.

6. Initial thoughts and opinions?

7. Three Common Interpretations
Seymour is a pedophile.
Seymour is suffering from PTSD.
Seymour hates materialism.
Seymour is deranged and has become a pedophile. The beginning of the story merely sets up the fact that he is insane. While spending time with Sybil, he reaches the realization that what he is doing is wrong, so he kills himself.
After the war, Seymour has PTSD. The beginning of the story shows this along with how his wife does not care about him. He cannot relate to anyone aside from children, such as Sybil. The bananafish represents Seymour, and the bananas represent stressful things in his life, which will eventually kill him – explaining his suicide.
The beginning of the story shows that Muriel is vain and materialistic. He spends time with Sybil because she is innocent and not materialistic. The bananafish represents society, and the bananas represent material things, which destroy everyone. He kills himself to escape the material world.

8. Complete the handout with a partner.