In For Esmé—with Love and Squalor by J.D. Salinger we have the theme of ignorance, alienation, loneliness, hope and recovery. Taken from his Nine Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by a man (and former soldier) named only as Sergeant X. However it is worth noting that there is a shift in the narration of the story from the first person to the third person when Sergeant X is describing how he is feeling when he is in Germany during the war. This shift in narration may be important as it is possible that by changing to a third person narrator, Sergeant X is attempting to understand what happened him (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) during the war. It is also possible that Salinger is suggesting that there are benefits (to the individual) should they write of their experiences (of the war) in the third person. That by doing so Sergeant X is able to separate (or disassociate) himself from his experiences in the war which in turn helps Sergeant X not only understand what has happened him but also helps him in the healing process.
Salinger also on several occasions in the story appears to be exploring the theme of ignorance, particularly among those who were not affected by the war. Sergeant X’s mother-in-law for example doesn’t appear to have any understanding for what has or may happen to Sergeant X in the war. Rather than showing any concern for Sergeant X she instead asks him to send her some cashmere yarn. Likewise Sergeant X’s wife appears to be more concerned about the service she receives in Schrafft’s (restaurant) then she does about her husband’s well-being. Also with Sergeant X’s brother there is a sense that he too is unaware, or possibly uninterested in how Sergeant X really feels. He too makes a request of Sergeant X (for war memorabilia) without asking how Sergeant X is feeling. If anything, Sergeant X’s mother-in-law, wife and his brother appear to romanticise war, showing very little, if any understanding of the hardships that come with war, particularly for those who fight in a war. The fact that Sergeant X rips up his brother’s letter may also be important as it is by doing so that the reader suspects that Sergeant X is aware that his brother (like his mother-in-law and wife) is acting selfishly, showing no understanding of how Sergeant X may be feeling. It is also noticeable that Clay’s girlfriend considers that ‘nobody gets a nervous breakdown just from the war and all.’ Again this would highlight to the reader the inability (or the ignorance) of those who have not fought in a war to understand what can happen those who are fighting.
For Esme With Love And Squalor Text Pdf 9/13/2019 I know of three people who are totally obsessed with j.d. Salinger: john hinckley mark david chapman goodreads david i know of four reasons why i (must) love this book: 1) because i don't want to see a list that looks like this: ronald reagan john lennon goodreads brian 2) because in the early. For Esme-with Love and Squalor (1950) J. Salinger (1919 –) 'For Esme-with Love and Squalor' Notes. 133 D Day: In general military terms, this is 'the unnamed day on which a particular operation commences or is to commence' (Dictionary of Military Terms).
There is also a sense that Sergeant X is alienated from those around him. Despite being in England with sixty other soldiers, at no stage of the story does X socialize with any of his fellow soldiers. Similarly when Clay is taking to Sergeant X the reader senses that Sergeant X does not enjoy Clay’s company. There appears to be some distance between both men, despite the physical closeness between the two of them as they are talking. Clay, unlike Sergeant X, appears to be unaffected by what he has seen in the war. By keeping Sergeant X’s conversation with Clay confined to a small room it is also possible that Salinger is suggesting that in some ways, Sergeant X is trapped in a cell like environment (imprisoned by the effects of the war). There is also a feeling that despite all the letters that Sergeant X has received (and which remain unopened), he still feels lonely, as if his experiences of the war have detached him from any sense of normality that he had once experienced.
There is also some symbolism in the story which may be significant. Esmé’s watch, given to her by her father may symbolise hope. Just as the reader senses that Esmé’s father gave the watch to Esmé in the hope that things would be okay, likewise the reader suspects that Esmé too has given the watch to Sergeant X, in the hope that things will be okay. It is also possible that the watch symbolises a connection between Esmé and Sergeant X. By giving Sergeant X the watch, Esmé in many ways (and unlike some of the other characters in the story) is displaying her ability to understand or connect with Sergeant X. Though she is only thirteen she is one of the few, if not the only character, in the story who appears to show any understanding of the difficulties that Sergeant X may be experiencing. This understanding may possibly stem from the fact that Esmé, having lost her father in the war (in North Africa) is fully aware of the difficulties that a soldier will face while fighting. The inscription (Dear God, life is hell) that Sergeant X finds inside Goebbels’s book may also be symbolic. It is possible that Salinger is suggesting that war, regardless of what side a person is on, is hell. It may also be significant that when Sergeant X attempts to make his own inscription (a Dostoevsky quote) in the book he notices that his hand writing is illegible. It is possible that Salinger is suggesting that Sergeant X, through his experiences of the war, is unable to love (mankind) or at least has lost the ability to express himself.
Despite the hardships that Sergeant X is feeling, Salinger does afford him the opportunity for things to get better at the end of the story. This is noticeable by the fact that after Sergeant X reads Esmé’s letter he begins to get sleepy. Salinger telling the reader that ‘you take a really sleepy man, Esmé, and he always stands a chance of again becoming a man with all his fac – with all his f-a-c-u-l-t-i-e-s intact.’ This line may be important as symbolically Salinger could be suggesting that by getting sleepy Sergeant X is beginning to forget about his circumstances, which in turn suggests that there is still some hope for Sergeant X. The fact that Salinger begins the story with hope too (Sergeant X hoping he could go to Esmé’s wedding) also suggests that things have improved for Sergeant X, that he has recovered, despite everything that has happened him during the war.