Metaphors are a symbol to express an emotion, a feeling, or compare two things. In an author’s work, metaphors are used frequently to allow the reader to understand a deeper meaning of the text. Because a metaphor can sometimes be hidden and not clear, the reader’s interpretation of it can make a big difference on the purpose of the story. The metaphor used in “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” by J.D. Salinger can raise many questions. The connotation can be uncertain or differing from reader to reader. In the story, a man suffering from PTSD is on the beach with his wife. Although he doesn’t have great communication skills, he finds a young child to talk to. While trying to express how he is feeling, he uses a comparison about a bananafish, explaining that they dig themselves in a hole and eat all the bananas causing them to swell up so they cannot fit back through the hole.  J.D. Salinger included this metaphor in the story so the reader could gain a better understanding about the feelings of the main character. While some readers may think the metaphor is used to entertain the small child, others believe it is an example of how the main character is feeling and a small cry out for help. The way different readers interpret the metaphor can change the view they have on the story altogether.     

When reading “A Perfect Day for Bananafish”, the main character, Seymour Glass, is obviously suffering from depression. He had recently come back from war and the effects were very hard on him. During a day on the beach, Seymour finds a little girl named Sybil. He had talked to her recently, but this is the first time the reader gets a glimpse into one of their conversations. The interaction between Sybil and Seymour seems strange for a grown man and little girl to be having. When they first see each other, Seymour comments on Sybil’s swimsuit. Seymour says,“That’s a fine bathing suit you have on. If there’s one thing I like, it’s a blue bathing suit” (Salinger 6). Sybil corrects Seymour, explaining to him it is a yellow bathing suit. Seymour’s  Later in the story, Seymour himself has on a blue bathing suit. Maybe because he sees himself in the little girl, he sees that she is also wearing a blue bathing suit like himself. However, I think another reason could be the fact that Seymour just came back from the war. The bathing suit could be seen as a navy uniform. Because we don’t know what exactly Seymour did in the war, it can only be an assumption that he still feels like he is on the battlefield or in a war zone where he might have only seen navy suits. 

As Seymour and Sybil continue talking, Seymour asks Sybil where she is from.  Sybil says Whirly Wood Connecticut and to which Sybil responds, “Whirly Wood Connecticut. Is that anywhere near Whirly Wood Connecticut, by any chance?” (Salinger 7). Because this question does not make much sense, especially for a grown man to be asking, I assume that it is in direct coordination with the war. I think Seymour sees himself as a child at this point in his life. I think maybe Seymour is trying to regain his innocence. The war might have taken that away from him and because of this he doesn’t know how to act anymore. Because of this, talking and even acting like a child may take his mind away from his depression. 

The most obvious and perhaps most important part of the story is when Seymour talks to Sybil about the bananafish. He says, “They lead a very tragic life” (Salinger 8). This is the beginning of a cry for help. The bananafish metaphor is a representation of Seymour’s life. He is battling with depression and uses a metaphor as an outlet and a way for him to express how he is feeling indirectly. The overall message is clear, but the specific words and way he describes the metaphor needs explaining. The fact that Seymour is talking about imaginary fish shows that he is acting childish and is possibly blocking out the real world from his mind. Living in a fictional world may be a coping mechanism for him, because dealing with everyday life would be too overwhelming for him. When Sybil tells Seymour that she sees a bananafish, he kisses her foot. Soon after he does this, he kills himself. I think kissing her feet was a goodbye kiss. He knew what he was going to do, and maybe the fact that Sybil saw a bananafish was the ultimate decision maker for what he was going to do next. The fact that Sybil was in this fantasy world that Seymour couldn’t get out of was too much for him to handle. 

“A Perfect Day for Bananafish” by J.D. Salinger is a story about a man struggling with the everyday effects of depression. Although a metaphor was used to describe how he was feeling, it was the small details that truly allowed the reader to understand the impact this disease had on the character. 
