Comments on: “Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes” by J.D. Salinger http://www.bibliographing.com/2010/03/05/pretty-mouth-and-green-my-eyes-by-j-d-salinger/ or, writing about books Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:34:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: tom walker http://www.bibliographing.com/2010/03/05/pretty-mouth-and-green-my-eyes-by-j-d-salinger/comment-page-1/#comment-60793 tom walker Sat, 12 Mar 2011 16:49:30 +0000 http://www.bibliographing.com/?p=2399#comment-60793 When I was in college at UT-Austin, my distinguished professor, Dr. Gerald Langford, told us in the class that when Arthur calls Lee back, it is obvious that Arthur is wise to what is going on with Lee and Joanie, and this is just his subtle way of communicating that. But I have never found any evidence, or even indication, of that in the story. I would like to know what other readers think. When I was in college at UT-Austin, my distinguished professor, Dr. Gerald Langford, told us in the class that when Arthur calls Lee back, it is obvious that Arthur is wise to what is going on with Lee and Joanie, and this is just his subtle way of communicating that.

But I have never found any evidence, or even indication, of that in the story. I would like to know what other readers think.

]]> By: Tzvia Offenberg http://www.bibliographing.com/2010/03/05/pretty-mouth-and-green-my-eyes-by-j-d-salinger/comment-page-1/#comment-10405 Tzvia Offenberg Sat, 24 Apr 2010 12:19:39 +0000 http://www.bibliographing.com/?p=2399#comment-10405 This is a story with a twist, the twist being that although we have benn misled to believe that Lee is the liar and the betraying friend and Arthur is a pitiful victim, it appears in the end that he is not less of a liar than Lee, when he invents the story of his wife's return to the nest, while trying to take some advantage of his frien'd relations at the law office in order to straighten up somehow his loss in court. The stroy is about a world based on lies, betrayal of trust and friendship, adultery and making a profit of every situation (like getting soem free legal advice from a lawyer-friend at a party), policemen who might be hiding in your closet after sleeping with your wife, a judge who doesn't really care about justice and lawyers who are cheaters and liars in real life. This is a fallen world in which there is no true love (the relationship between "the girl" and the "grey-haired man" is to discrepent to be one of lov or even true lust),no trust , no sincerity, no honesty, no justice, no innocence. The cover story is only a symbolic chatter hinting between the lines what the true perspective of the writer is. Conneticut, as mentioned in the story, is an abode where once can find refuge from the corruption of the modern world, a place where one can find some serenity and truth in a natural environment. No wonder Salinger himself sought refuge there in real life and left everything behind him. This is a story with a twist, the twist being that although we have benn misled to believe that Lee is the liar and the betraying friend and Arthur is a pitiful victim, it appears in the end that he is not less of a liar than Lee, when he invents the story of his wife’s return to the nest, while trying to take some advantage of his frien’d relations at the law office in order to straighten up somehow his loss in court.
The stroy is about a world based on lies, betrayal of trust and friendship, adultery and making a profit of every situation (like getting soem free legal advice from a lawyer-friend at a party), policemen who might be hiding in your closet after sleeping with your wife, a judge who doesn’t really care about justice and lawyers who are cheaters and liars in real life. This is a fallen world in which there is no true love (the relationship between “the girl” and the “grey-haired man” is to discrepent to be one of lov or even true lust),no trust , no sincerity, no honesty, no justice, no innocence.
The cover story is only a symbolic chatter hinting between the lines what the true perspective of the writer is.
Conneticut, as mentioned in the story, is an abode where once can find refuge from the corruption of the modern world, a place where one can find some serenity and truth in a natural environment.
No wonder Salinger himself sought refuge there in real life and left everything behind him.

]]> By: Jeff http://www.bibliographing.com/2010/03/05/pretty-mouth-and-green-my-eyes-by-j-d-salinger/comment-page-1/#comment-8577 Jeff Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:39:15 +0000 http://www.bibliographing.com/?p=2399#comment-8577 I recently popped back into <i>Nine Stories,</i> too, after nearly 20 years, and I also found "PMAGME" to be one of the stand-out stories. I think it's the sort of story that so many post-Salinger students of creative writing aspire to imitate, whether they realize it or not: a sketch that takes otherwise forgettable characters and uses quick details and colloquial dialogue to give a specific interpersonal conundrum universal meaning. At the very least, it does take a pretty good writer to keep readers interested in that seemingly rambling phone conversation... I recently popped back into Nine Stories, too, after nearly 20 years, and I also found “PMAGME” to be one of the stand-out stories. I think it’s the sort of story that so many post-Salinger students of creative writing aspire to imitate, whether they realize it or not: a sketch that takes otherwise forgettable characters and uses quick details and colloquial dialogue to give a specific interpersonal conundrum universal meaning. At the very least, it does take a pretty good writer to keep readers interested in that seemingly rambling phone conversation…

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