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A review by wolfdan9
Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger
5.0
I decided to reread a selection from my all-time favorite story collection, Nine Stories, this morning and write my thoughts here. Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut is a story from JD Salinger (also probably my favorite writer) about how adults and children process grief. Salinger carefully and cleverly juxtaposes Eloise and her daughter Ramona, who both lose their romantic interest. In Salingerian humorous-but-sad fashion, Ramona, who is a child of possibly six or seven years old, makes up an imaginary boyfriend “Jimmy Jimereeno,” whose existence in Ramona’s mind amuses her mother and mother’s friend who are chatting about the past. It’s clear that Ramona makes up this character because she is neglected by her young mother, an alcoholic and overall pretty bad person. The unhappily married Eloise describes to her friend a former boyfriend (Walt, from the transcendent Glass family) who died in World War II. He was the only person who could genuinely make her laugh and the most intelligent man she had ever met. We learn that she is still deeply attached to his memory. Ramona, who in her loneliness had asked to play outside, returns after her mother’s conversation and reveals that Jimmy was killed in a car accident. Eloise assumes Ramona is sick and sends her to bed.
Later on, Eloise’s maid asks if her husband can stay the night due to the bad weather, to which Eloise declines and says that she is “not running a hotel.” This is an interesting scene that Salinger includes to show Eloise’s bitterness toward happily married people. This reaches a breaking point and Eloise explodes when she sees Ramona sleeping on the side of the bed as if she is sharing it. She asks why she is sleeping like that, since Jimmy is dead. Ramona innocently remarks that she has a new friend, “Mickey Mickeranno.” After an outburst, Eloise wakes her friend up. She asks her, “I was a nice girl, wasn’t I?”
I found, and typically find, that Salinger captures children’s innocent speech and actions finely. He uses his gifts here seemingly to acknowledge the advantage of children’s inherent purity when facing a difficult situation. Eloise has turned to cigarettes and alcohol to deal with the pain of her loss. She has become embittered, selfish, and crotchety, which she would link to Walt’s death. She’s unhappy with her life and family, which she feels disconnected from. Ramona’s ability to simply “create” a new person and be content is exactly what Eloise needs, but obviously she knows this is impossible for a person with an adult level of intelligence. The complicated matters of adulthood and the creativity and innocence of youth are juxtaposed in this way.
Later on, Eloise’s maid asks if her husband can stay the night due to the bad weather, to which Eloise declines and says that she is “not running a hotel.” This is an interesting scene that Salinger includes to show Eloise’s bitterness toward happily married people. This reaches a breaking point and Eloise explodes when she sees Ramona sleeping on the side of the bed as if she is sharing it. She asks why she is sleeping like that, since Jimmy is dead. Ramona innocently remarks that she has a new friend, “Mickey Mickeranno.” After an outburst, Eloise wakes her friend up. She asks her, “I was a nice girl, wasn’t I?”
I found, and typically find, that Salinger captures children’s innocent speech and actions finely. He uses his gifts here seemingly to acknowledge the advantage of children’s inherent purity when facing a difficult situation. Eloise has turned to cigarettes and alcohol to deal with the pain of her loss. She has become embittered, selfish, and crotchety, which she would link to Walt’s death. She’s unhappy with her life and family, which she feels disconnected from. Ramona’s ability to simply “create” a new person and be content is exactly what Eloise needs, but obviously she knows this is impossible for a person with an adult level of intelligence. The complicated matters of adulthood and the creativity and innocence of youth are juxtaposed in this way.