The Second World War also destroyed the beautiful love between couples。 After the war, Salinger returned Vienna to find his first love。 Unfortunately, the girl and her family died in concentration camp。 That family was the embodiment of his dream, their death turned his past life into naught。 He wanted to return home, a home that didn’t be changed by the wars, but it was impossible。 In the novel, Seymour was a romantic guy, he sent some German poems to Muriel hope she could love them, however she thought he was not funny at all and the poems are horrible and sad。 He enjoyed playing the piano when everyone was chatting with each other。 Muriel liked having her hair dyed mink at the hair salon, making dolls for poor children in her room or talking with her mother about the fashionable dresses。 Half a sentence is too much when there is no seeing eye to eye。 Seymour went back to his room from the beach, he stared at the girl who was lying asleep on the bed, and then he took out an Ortgies 7。65 automatic to take his own life。
Salinger had strong criticism to the army in the novel。 He not only condemned the army for killing the personality, but also reminded the readers to note a phenomenon— in accordance with the military's common practice, the soldiers who have psychological problems and haven’t been cured should be sent back to the front。 The story also passed another message, although it is not pointed out—they had been treated as cannon fodder。
Seymour was portrayed as a saint of the Glass family, he was able to know the ultimate wisdom of the people, and he can see people as they really are。 Seymour is like his creator, Salinger, after a series of terrorist attacks, he found he can’t survive in the society because the society disregarded the verities he knew, he didn’t want to be trapped into this world which was full of mundane pursuits。 He and Salinger both suffered from the bloody war, and they didn’t want people to judge their values。 And in the novel, Seymour wanted to be a dead cat so that he can’t be priced, and he just did it—suicide。 Maybe sometimes Salinger also wanted to be a dead cat。