It is possible that Salinger is suggesting that war, regardless of what side a person is on, is hell. 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. 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. 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. It is also possible that the watch symbolises a connection between Esmé and Sergeant X. 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. Esmé’s watch, given to her by her father may symbolise hope. There is also some symbolism in the story which may be significant. 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. 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). Clay, unlike Sergeant X, appears to be unaffected by what he has seen in the war. There appears to be some distance between both men, despite the physical closeness between the two of them as they are talking. Similarly when Clay is taking to Sergeant X the reader senses that Sergeant X does not enjoy Clay’s company. Despite being in England with sixty other soldiers, at no stage of the story does X socialize with any of his fellow soldiers. There is also a sense that Sergeant X is alienated from those around him. 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. 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. 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. He too makes a request of Sergeant X (for war memorabilia) without asking how Sergeant X is feeling. Also with Sergeant X’s brother there is a sense that he too is unaware, or possibly uninterested in how Sergeant X really feels. 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. Rather than showing any concern for Sergeant X she instead asks him to send her some cashmere yarn. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Salinger we have the theme of ignorance, alienation, loneliness, hope and recovery. In For Esmé-with Love and Squalor by J.D.
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