A Perfect Day for Bananafish Group

Question:

studentinneedofhelp
studentinnee...
Student
High School - 11th Grade

In the story "A Perfect Day for Banana Fish" what is the significance between the "banana fish" and to the story?

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Posted by studentinneedofhelp on Monday November 26, 2007 at 3:53 PM and tagged with a perfect day for banana fish, a perfect day for bananafish, symbolism.

Answers:


  1. renelane Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The banana fish is an imaginary species of fish. According to Seymour, the banana fish is just an average looking fish that is doomed to live a life that ends in tragedy. The previously normal fish swims through the banana hole, and contract banana fever from gorging themselves on too many bananas and eventually die.

    It can be seen that the tale of the banana fish is symbolic of human beings whose downfall occurs when they consume or experience too much of any one thing. For some, it could be of a material nature, others a sexual nature.

    For Seymour, his banana fever occurred because of the war. In going through the banana hole (the war) , he consumed (experienced) too many horrific sights to come back out of the hole and resume a normal life.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/perfect-day/style

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    Posted by renelane on Monday November 26, 2007 at 4:27 PM

  2. mastermind242424
    mastermind242424 Student
    College - Sophomore

    The big picture shows that the bananafish represents societies tendency to focus on material possessions, over-indulge, and waste life and ultimately die from their over-consumption. Reading this story for the first time, I remember I thought for sure there was some sort of sexual symbolism involved here. The whole story about a "banana" fish going into a whole then never being able to leave seemed like a symbol for being whipped. And when the little girl is in the water with Seymore, it is said she throws her head back in pleasure and claims to see a bananafish while Seymore holds her by her feet and pushes her back and forth. The sexual innuendo was too much to ignore.

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    Posted by mastermind242424 on Wednesday July 16, 2008 at 9:49 PM

  3. dirod
    dirod

    To me it represents Seymour itself, the bananafish is an ordinary looking one but with a tragic live, seymour is of that kind, affected strongly and differently by war than ordinary people reacts tragicgly killing himself, the reference of blue denotes calm, its almost a filosophical decition. The references of sexual nature are there as in any human being, but a sensityve nature as the writers one wouldnt give them a role except a satirical one, playing with the references and the posible readings.

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    Posted by dirod on Tuesday February 10, 2009 at 7:49 AM