A Perfect Day for Bananafish | Style

Symbolism
Every symbol (in life and in literature) is composed of two parts: the symbol (the actual picture, such as a skull and crossbones) and a referent (the thing for which the symbol stands, such as poison). Writers use symbols as a matter of course: things like the river in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or Hester's ''A'' in The Scarlet Letter allow readers to better grasp the meanings of each work as a whole.

However, part of what makes ''A Perfect Day for Bananafish’’ so intriguing is Salinger's use of symbols where the referents are...


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