Genre
Short Stories
Setting and Context
The stories are set at different times but predominantly just after the end of World War Two. Most of the settings are within an environment of wealth.
Narrator and Point of View
The stories are narrated predominantly by first person narrators although these are not always named.
Tone and Mood
The tone of the stories is usually quite melancholy.
Protagonist and Antagonist
In "Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes" the protagonist is Lee, and the antagonist is his friend Arthur who makes his wife feel bad for leaving him and this makes her leave Lee and return to her husband again.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in many of the stories is World War Two, which provides a backdrop for the situations that the characters find themselves in.
There is also conflict between many of the characters, for example, in "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" there is conflict between Muriel and her mother about the severity of Seymour's emotional instability.
Climax
In "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" the climax of the story is Seymour's return to the hotel room, where he shoots himself.
Foreshadowing
In "Teddy", the boy's own words foreshadow the fact that his parents will not see him again.
Understatement
"For Love and Squalor" sees the narrator understating his own emotional and mental state when he communicates with Esme; he is in a psychiatric hospital after suffering PTSD.
Allusions
The writer alludes to many of the situations that occurred during World War II, specifically conditions in the field hospitals, and the D-Day Landings.
Imagery
The imagery in most of the stories is that of wealth and opulence, as many of the locations are upscale and ritzy.
Paradox
Muriel and her mother are arguing about the causes of and ways to deal with Seymour's emotional issues, but Seymour's issues are much more severe than either of them are aware of and he shoots himself, making his own decision about how to "deal" with his problems.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between the Glass family in "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" and the Tannenbaum family in "Down at the Dinghy" as both are vacationing by the ocean, and both are wealthy.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
No specific examples.
Personification
No specific examples.
