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: : : Hi. I wonder, is this REALLY Zooey? None of these stories are non-fiction, are they? I think I'm confused because you sign "Zooey" as though it's your name. Is that really your name? Or do you use it for entertainment purposes? : : : I've asked these questions to several Salinger-orientanted websites, but no one has answered them. Perhaps you can help. : : : 1. Is Buddy the narrator of "Franny" and/or "Zooey?" His and Salinger's writing style seem to be one in the same, so it's possible to get confused. : : Buddy is the person writing the stories "Franny" and "Zooey". He tells you that in the first few pages of "Zooey". He says that he has put the pieces of the story together from several accounts and long talks with Zooey, and is writing these two stories. You'll find that Buddy Gl is the author of most of the "Gl family stories". : : : 2. I don't believe I quite understood the "Fat Lady" that Zooey talked about. I think the basic idea was the "Fat Lady" represented everyone and everyone is a son of God; therefore, everyone is Jesus and needs to be treated well. I could be wrong. : : Something like that. I don't think that anyone's response to your question can explain it any better than you've put it... Though your explanation may seem very simplistic to some, right on to others, and ironically correct yet not comprehending the point to me. : : : 3. What is the signifigance of the haiku that Seymour writes before killing himself ("The girl on the plane/Who turned her doll's head/To look at me."). I haven't any theories on this. : : Read "Seymore, and Introduction" if you want Buddy's explanation of the significance. : : : 4. Does Les appear in any stories? He has a brief appearance in "Seymour:An Introduction," but does he ever play a main part. I have the feeling that he killed himself, but I don't know where that may have come from. : : Les appears in no other published stories (other than being mentioned in F&Z and Seymore...). : : : If you can answer any or all of these questions, please e-mail me or post it to the board so that we may all share in your knowledge and theories. Thank very much. : : I think you may be a bit confused as to who Buddy Gl is and who J. D. Salinger is. They are not the same person. Salinger writes the stories, he is the author, and is also a living human being. Buddy Gl is the narrator/character who is writing many of Salinger's stories. When a Salinger story is in 1st person, he's usually writing from Buddy Gl' perspective (though there are exceptions to this rule). : : Hope that helps. I've responded with as much detail as I guessed your question asked for. If you'd like more, I would love to try and answer more of your questions. : : Zooey

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